By Canadian Press

Merzlikins stops 39 shots, Blue Jackets beat Canucks 4-2

Nov 26, 2021 | 7:06 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Elvis Merzlikins stopped 39 shots, Gustav Nyquist scored short-handed and had an assist, and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat Vancouver Canucks 4-2 Friday night.

Jack Roslovic scored the tiebreaking goal 6:06 into the third period for Columbus, and Adam Boqvist and Max Domi also scored. The Blue Jackets have won three straight and four of five.

Vancouver has lost five in a row on the road. Vasily Podkolzin and Tyler Motte scored, and Thatcher Demko stopped 17 shots as the Canucks lost for the eighth time in their last nine games.

Nyquist started the scoring for Columbus with a goal at 13:54 on the penalty kill, the second short-handed goal of his career and the Blue Jackets’ second of the year.

Vancouver pulled even with 27.6 seconds left in the first period when Justin Dowling intercepted a clearing pass and fed Podkolzin for his fourth goal of the season.

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Despite being outshot 16-5, Columbus took the lead back at 6:17 of the second when Boqvist beat Demko with the rebound of Cole Sillinger’s shot for his second goal of the year.

Vancouver again pulled even near the end of the period, with former Blue Jacket Motte tipping in Quinn Hughes’ blue-line shot at 18:42 for his second goal in six games since returning from offseason neck surgery.

Roslovic’s third goal of the season, a sniper shot from the point, put Columbus up 3-2. Jakub Voracek’s assist pushed his home point streak to six games and gave him an NHL-leading 14 primary assists.

Domi scored an empty-netter with 1:35 remaining in the game.

NEXT UP

Vancouver visits Boston on Sunday.

Columbus visits St. Louis on Saturday.

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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Nicole Kraft, The Associated Press