Vancouver Canucks (32-33-10) vs Columbus Blue Jackets (40-30-4) Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC When: 7:00 pm PST Where to Watch: Sportsnet Pacific SB Nation Opposition Blog: Jackets Cannon WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: If it took you 75 games to realize the Canucks have no business thinking about the playoffs, even as close to a spot as they’ve been, thanks for getting here. Better late than never, eh? Last night’s score flattered the Canucks, but in a grinding, physical, playoff style game, the Canucks were outplayed all damn night. So let’s just put all of this talk behind us and start focusing on playing these last 7 games, roster changes that need to be made and looking to the draft, alright? There have been some positives down the stretch. Brock Boeser has been terrific, producing consistently and stepping up his defensive responsibilities (something Botch touched on in last night’s Athletties). Bo Horvat hasn’t taken a damn night off all season long, and Troy Stecher is evolving into this team’s best defenceman before our very eyes. And for those who think Elias Pettersson has somehow faltered because it’s been a heck of a long time since his last goal: what’s going on with EP reminds me of AI. Yeah, Artificial Intelligence. At the start of the year, he didn’t get a lot of respect from teams (as they often do to rookies, especially ones who come from overseas) and he made them look foolish for it. They’re onto him now, so they plan their games around how to shut him down. It’s working, for now. But with every game, he’s processing stuff, adding a more physical element to his game (something that was noticeable again last night) and working out how to adjust to the increased attention. Mark my words, this kid thinks and processes the game in a way most don’t. He will solve the puzzle before him and then we’re really going to see what we have in Elias Pettersson. As far as tonight goes, we should see a couple significant changes to the lineup. Thatcher Demko will almost assuredly get the start. We should also see Sven Baertschi inserted into the lineup tonight. That should see Tim Schaller sit to allow Baertschi back in. A couple guys who should sit? Tyler Motte and Jake Virtanen. Motte was capital B brutal last night, and Virtanen’s failure to take the man at the line in the 3rd directly led to the insurance goal for the Flames. I would argue that one of them should sit for Nikolay Goldobin, but let’s face it: the Canucks are probably not gonna put Goldobin back in, and he won’t be back next season. As far as the Jackets go, this is going to be a desperate team the Canucks face tonight, and a rested one, too. They’ve been called out by their GM for their play since the trade deadline, and sit three points back of the Montreal Canadiens for the final Wild Card slot in the East. They picked up some big names at the deadline, none of whom have made a difference. And considering the number of picks and prospects that they traded away, this really had the look of a team that was going for it. You have to wonder if there will be heads rolling should they miss the dance. And let’s be honest, GM Jarmo Kekalainen blasting his team for a lack of cohesion is a tad tone-deaf at best. It’s his team. He built this. It’s not a blame a 3rd liner for your team missing the playoffs bad like we saw with Bob Nicholson and the Oilers, but it’s close. You also have to wonder if Tortorella can survive this team that was supposed to be built for long playoff run not making the post-season. Sergei Bobrovsky will be a game time decision, and the Jackets are hoping he’s good to go because every game he misses is costly for them, as backups Joonas Korpisalo and Keith Kinkaid haven’t been able to get the job done for them. From the Province, here’s the potential lineups for tonight: CANUCKS’ LINES LW – C – RW Josh Leivo — Elias Pettersson — Brock Boeser Tanner Pearson — Bo Horvat — Loui Eriksson Sven Baertschi — Adam Gaudette — Jake Virtanen Markus Granlund — Jay Beagle — Tyler Motte Defence pairings Alex Edler — Alex Biega Guillaume Brisebois — Troy Stecher Ashton Sautner — Luke Schenn Goalies: Jacob Markstrom, Thatcher Demko BLUE JACKETS’ LINES LW – C – RW Artemi Panarin — Pierre-Luc Dubois — Cam Atkinson Ryan Dzingel — Matt Duchene — Josh Anderson Eric Robinson — Riley Nash — Boone Jenner Brandon Dubinsky — Alex Wennberg — Oliver Bjorkstrand Defence pairings Zach Werenski — Seth Jones Markus Nutivaara — David Savard Scott Harrington — Adam McQuaid Goalies: Joonas Korpisalo, Keith Kinkaid SICK BAY Canucks: Sven Baertschi (post-concussion syndrome), Brandon Sutter (hernia), Ben Hutton (foot), Antoine Roussel (knee), Quinn Hughes (ankle), Ryan Spooner (groin), Chris Tanev (foot). Blue Jackets: Ryan Murray (upper body), Nick Foligno (personal), Sergei Bobrovsky (undisclosed). SPECIAL TEAMS POWER PLAY Canucks: 15.9% (26th) Blue Jackets: 15.3% (28th) PENALTY KILL Canucks: 80.4% (18th) Blue Jackets: 84.2% (3rd) Troy Stecher should be good to go tonight, which is borderline miraculous after taking a puck to the jaw in the dying moments of the game last night. It just adds to the legend of Troy from Richmond that he didn’t suffer a serious injury on the play. Quinn Hughes continues to skate, and I would guess that we see him on Tuesday night when the Anaheim Ducks roll into town. We’ll update with any changes as the day progresses. Here’s the game day preview from our pals over at Jackets Cannon, if you wish. GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN: The playoffs are underway in the CHL, and one of the series I am keeping my eye on is the Victoria Royals taking on the Kamloops Blazers. The Royals had another solid regular season, while the Blazers got into the playoffs via a victory over their hated rivals the Kelowna Rockets in a one game playoff last Tuesday. The series is tied 1-1 heading back to Kamloops for Games 3 and 4 thanks to a 4-3 OT win last night in Victoria. So in honor of my old hometown, here’s some metal from Kamloops to get you fired up. King Humungus emerged from the ashes of Damned Grave (I am pretty sure we featured them a couple years back) and play a very blackened thrash/D-beat-ish style of metal. Off their third release, this is the title track for ‘Slayer’. Make sure to check out their bandcamp page and support independent music.<doc-sep>Share this Story: Blue Jackets 5, Canucks 0: A night where the hosts got exactly what they deserved Blue Jackets 5, Canucks 0: A night where the hosts got exactly what they deserved Photo by DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS Article content There haven’t been many nights quite like Sunday night. The Vancouver Canucks didn’t deserve a better fate. Their compete mantra was mangled. They chased the game. They were flat-footed. They were mistake prone. And the power play went into hibernation. If that wasn’t enough, winger Tyler Motte was lost to an upper-body injury in the second period. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Blue Jackets 5, Canucks 0: A night where the hosts got exactly what they deserved Back to video In an NHL season where the Canucks could be appreciated for finding a way to will themselves back into games, you never got that sense at Rogers Arena. You never got the impression that the club could dig itself out of a deep hole after the Columbus Blue Jackets built a 3-0 lead after 26 minutes had elapsed. Maybe the belligerent and effective Josh Anderson got to the Canucks. Maybe Pierre-Luc Dubois ending a 13-game scoring drought and the first line finally looking like a first line was too much to handle. Here’s what we learned as the Canucks were shut out 5-0 — their 10th blanking this season — to all but mathematically eliminate themselves from playoff contention in trailing the final Western Conference playoff spot by seven points with six games remaining: Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Photo by DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS One big hit, three mistakes, three goals The margin for error was going to be minuscule. The Blue Jackets had to win to creep to within two points of the final Eastern Conference playoff position with a game in hand. They lost ground before the puck was dropped Sunday and were intent to cut a four-point deficit. And it started early. When Anderson rocked Alex Edler into the end boards — the defenceman’s head hit the glass and there was no penalty on the play — it set the tone. Luke Schenn challenged an unwilling Anderson for the hit. Anderson then dropped Ashton Sautner and Schenn levelled Ryan Dzingel. That should have ignited something. And it did in the Blue Jackets, who scored at will as Sergei Bobrovsky posted his seventh shutout of the season. Anderson showed his size, speed and finish to open scoring when Bo Horvat bobbled the puck in the offensive zone and Derrick Pouliot was caught up on the half wall. Anderson picked the short side glove on Thatcher Demko late in the first period. The Blue Jackets would strike twice in the first seven minutes of the second period on a pair of miscues. Dubois ripped a high shot past Demko on the stick side after the Canucks coughed up the puck in the neutral zone. Dzingel scored on the backhand at the top of the crease with nobody picking him up. A rough night for Demko got worse in the third period with Oliver Bjorkstrand picking the glove side and Anderson snapping his second on the stick side. Photo by DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS Baertschi buoyed by finally winging it again There’s a piece of the action. And then there’s peace of mind. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Sven Baertschi’s return from his latest post-concussion symptoms setback — he missed 23 games after not feeling right following a Feb. 2 victory in Denver — was about much more than helping the Canucks keep their flickering playoff hopes from being doused. It was about the left winger regaining the feeling that his career is finally back on track. He suffered the fifth concussion of his pro career on Oct. 24 in Las Vegas and was sidelined for 30 games. So, in his 23rd game of the season, he was seeking clarity that the fog in a demoralizing five months has lifted. He couldn’t help but have his head on a swivel, but needed to play on the inside and in high-traffic areas to erase doubts that he could take contact. He dished off a puck early in his own zone when Markus Hannikainen had him in the crosshairs — and he was then jostled by the winger on the back-check — before Boone Jenner rode Baertschi like he was in a rodeo in the second period. “I”m just happy that he’s healthy,” said Canucks coach Travis Green. “It’s a physical game and it’s a hard game. And if you’re on the outside looking in, it’s hard to have success. You can play on the outside, but you’re probably not going to win a lot of games or have a lot of long-term success.” Photo by DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS Goldobin goes quietly into the night You have to have a certain internal drive to stomach the tough going this time of the season. Nikolay Goldobin, who returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch the previous four games, looked like he wanted nothing of the tougher going. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content He had one shot and one bad turnover and is a restricted free agent. “We’ve talked not just about his willingness to compete and get into puck battles, but being able to come up with pucks,” said Green. “He’s a young player who sometimes gets outmuscled. That’s just a progression. Young guys have to eventually become players who can play and play full time.” OVERTIME — Quinn Hughes skated in a skills session Sunday morning, but Green won’t rush the recovering seventh selection in the 2018 draft. The dazzling defenceman suffered a bruised ankle March 8 in the Big Ten quarterfinal opener. “He was on the ice with five or six guys and it’s important that he get into some practices and gets some bigger bodies leaning on him and game-like stuff, plus his conditioning because he has been off a while,” said Green. Pouliot returned to the lineup because Guillaume Brisebois is out day-to-day with a hip strain. Josh Leivo was ill Sunday. bkuzma@postmedia.com twitter.com/benkuzma NEXT GAME: Tuesday Anaheim Ducks vs. Vancouver Canucks 7 p.m., Rogers Arena, TV: Sportsnet Pacific; Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM Join our White Towel: Let’s talk Canucks Facebook group to read the latest news, chat with our writers and have your say on the team. Go to facebook.com/theprovince and click on “Groups.” Share this article in your social network Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Province Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from The Province, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of The Province Headline News will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Trending<doc-sep>The scoring slump was over, but the questions remained for Pierre-Luc Dubois. Dubois had a goal and an assist as the Columbus Blue Jackets pounded the Vancouver Canucks 5-0 Sunday night to improve their NHL playoff chances. Dubois was still looking for answers after going 11 games without a point and being goalless in 13. "I've never been in a slump like that probably in my life," said the Blue Jackets' first-line centre. "I have been in a slump where I wasn't playing well, and I wasn't getting points and didn't wonder why because I wasn't playing well. "But this was a slump where some games I was playing really well and getting chances and just didn't score. You start off getting frustrated and then it's like `is this a joke, what's going on?" WATCH | Blue Jackets crush Canucks in Vancouver: Blue Jackets crush Canucks in Vancouver Sports 0:24 Josh Anderson had a pair of goals as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-0 to snap a 3-game losing streak. 0:24 Josh Anderson scored twice and added an assist while goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky returned from injury to stop 21 shots as the Blue Jackets (41-30-4) moved to within two points of the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Columbus also snapped a three-game road winless streak. Columbus took the ice knowing they had a chance to make up some ground after the Canadiens lost 2-1 to Carolina in overtime. "We needed a win tonight," said Anderson. "You look at the standings and every team is winning, not really helping us out too much. "We have to treat every game from now on as a must win, really. This is the time of year where it's fun hockey. We are playing for something here, we all know that." Ryan Dzingel and Oliver Bjorkstrand also scored for Columbus. Bobrovsky stands tall The shutout was the seventh of the season for Bobrovsky, who had missed one game with an upper-body injury. Two of his best saves came in the second period when he stopped Bo Horvat and Markus Granlund on Canuck power plays. "I felt pretty good," said Bobrovksy. "I felt comfortable to play and I thought the guys helped me a lot out there. It's a good team win." Dubois's goal made it 2-0 with just 56 seconds gone in the second period. Artemi Panarin picked off a Canuck pass then fed Dubois, who scored on a screened shot. Columbus coach John Tortorella said he could see the boost the goal gave Dubois. "When Luc scored, he started making plays, started carrying the puck, beating people," said Tortorella. "He just looked so much more confident." 1 step closer to playoffs While Columbus celebrated being a step closer to the playoffs, the Canucks were left trying to explain a step back. Vancouver had played a strong game in a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames Saturday but made costly mistakes and lacked emotion against Columbus. "That wasn't our strongest game," said Horvat. "We knew they were going to come hard. They just kept coming and coming. "We couldn't get any traction. We have to be a lot better than that coming down the stretch here." The Canucks (32-34-10) trail the Colorado Avalanche by seven points for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with six games remaining. It was the 10th time this season the Canucks have been shutout, the most of any team in the NHL. It was also the 16th team Vancouver has allowed five or more goals in a game. The Canucks trailed 1-0 after the first period. A couple of costly turnovers resulted in Vancouver falling behind 3-0 with just over six minutes gone in the second. "I actually thought the first period we came out and had an emotional, intense, physical period," said Canuck coach Travis Green. "Then the second period we turned over a couple of pucks that turned into goals and I thought that deflated us a bit." Goaltender Thatcher Demko stopped 28 shots for Vancouver.<doc-sep>
Game Day Preview: Canucks vs Blue Jackets The Vancouver Canucks (32-33-10) are back in action for a second straight night as they conclude a busy weekend by hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets (40-30-4) at Rogers Arena. VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks (32-33-10) are back in action for a second straight night as they conclude a busy weekend by hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets (40-30-4) at Rogers Arena. It’s the 11th and final set of back to back games on the schedule this season. The Canucks are 4-6 in the second games including a 3-2 overtime win in Chicago last Monday. The Canucks fell 3-1 to the Calgary Flames last night. Brock Boeser scored a power play goal early in the third period to cut Calgary’s lead to 2-1. But that’s as close as the Canucks would get. Boeser has scored in back to back games and three of his past six. His goal last night extended his personal point streak to nine games (4+6=10) while Elias Pettersson picked up an assist and is now on a five-game run (1+5=6). The Canucks have scored a power play goal in three straight games and are 4/6 (66.7%) over that span. They are now 6 for their last 18 (33.3%) over the past six games. They had six power play goals in the 26 games prior to that. Last night’s loss snapped the team’s three game win streak leaving the Canucks 4-1-1 in their past six games. They now find themselves six points back of Colorado in the chase for the second and final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with just seven games remaining on the schedule. Jacob Markstrom stopped 28 of 31 Calgary shots last night, but it’s expected that Thatcher Demko will get the start tonight. Demko picked up his second win of the season in his last outing on Monday in Chicago. If he gets the call tonight, this will mark the fourth straight time Demko has been tapped to appear in the second game of team back to backs (at Arizona, at Edmonton and at Chicago). This will also be just his second home ice appearance and his first since January 18th against Buffalo. Demko made his NHL debut against the Blue Jackets nearly one year ago in a 5-4 overtime victory on March 31, 2018. With no morning skate, the Canucks line-up is unclear. After using the same 18 skaters for the past four games, Travis Green could very well make changes – especially up front where he has three healthy extras: Nikolay Goldobin, Ryan Spooner and Sven Baertschi. If Baertschi draws in, it will mark his return to the line-up for the first time since February 2nd in Colorado. Due to a concussion (30 games) and post-concussion syndrome (currently 23 games), he has been limited to just 22 of the Canucks 75 games this season. The Blue Jackets have been idle since a 4-1 loss in Edmonton on Thursday night. Defenseman David Savard opened the scoring midway through the second period before the Oilers rattled off four unanswered goals. Columbus is 0-2-1 in its past three games with the team’s last victory coming in a 3-0 win against Carolina on March 15th. The Jackets are 5-7-1 since being one of the busiest teams in the league at the NHL trade deadline. Matt Duchene has 3+3=6 in 15 games with his new team while Ryan Dzingel has 1+6=7 in 13 games. Cam Atkinson leads CBJ with 38 goals while Artemi Panarin is the team’s leading scorer with 25+51=76. The team has scraped together just four goals over its past three games. The Jackets boast the fourth best penalty kill in the NHL (84.2%), but no team has been short-handed less (190 times is tied with Toronto) and no one has given up fewer power play goals (30). Columbus enters action tonight in ninth in the Eastern Conference just three points behind Montreal in the Wild Card chase. The Jackets hold a game in hand on the Habs and they will face-off against each on Thursday in Ohio. The Blue Jackets have 40 wins on the season with 20 at home (20-16-2) and 20 on the road (20-14-2). Sergei Bobrovsky did not dress on Thursday in Edmonton due to an upper body injury. However, he practiced with his teammates at UBC yesterday and hopes to be able to start tonight. The Jackets are carrying three goalies on the active roster with Joonas Korpisalo and Keith Kincaid.