A blizzard could only slow down the league-best Vancouver Canucks. Kirill Marchenko and the Columbus Blue Jackets stopped them.
Marchenko's game-deciding goal in the shootout lifted the Blue Jackets to victory over the Canucks 4-3 on Monday afternoon at Nationwide Arena. The loss snaps a five-game winning streak for Vancouver who sits atop the NHL standings with 62 points.
Dmitri Voronkov scored twice and Yegor Chinakhov scored for Columbus.
Johnny Gaudreau had two assists. Adam Boqvist and Jack Roslovic each had one assist.
Elvis Merzlikins made 27 saves.
Elias Pettersson had two points with a goal and an assist. J.T. Miller and Connor Garland also scored.
Nikita Zadorov, Teddy Blueger, and Dakota Joshua had assists.
Casey DeSmith made 38 saves.
Because of the winter storm affecting Buffalo, Vancouver was forced to bus to Toronto from Buffalo on Sunday to fly to Columbus in time for Monday's tilt.
The Canucks are sending head coach Rick Tocchet and five players — Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, and leading vote-getting Thatcher Demko —to next month's All-Star Game next month in Toronto. The five players are the most a team has sent to the All-Star Game since the 2001 Colorado Avalanche. Pettersson was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week after recording nine points (five goals, four assists) last week.
Merzlikins Makes First Start Of 2024
Merzlikins made his first start since Dec. 29, a span of 17 days, when he left after the first period of an eventual 6-5 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs due to illness.
Merzlikins wasn't happy to serve as the backup as was well-chronicled by us and the national landscape as talked about by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast.
Merzlikins wants to be treated as a No. 1, and today was his opportunity against the league's best team.
In his postgame media availability, Elvis Merzlikins said that he requested a trade. #CBJ
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) January 15, 2024
Today, he persevered and came up big when his team needed him most. Merzlikins made five saves while shorthanded and the Blue Jackets stopped the Canucks on three of their four power-play chances.
Merzlikins stopped all four Canucks shooters in the shootout.
Chinakhov And Voronkov Break Droughts
Chinakhov scored his 11th goal of the season to tie the game 1-1 at 5:55 of the first period and only 27 seconds following Miller's goal to begin the scoring. Gaudreau picked up the assist.
Sweet play by Chinakhov ties the game just 27 seconds later. Johnny Gaudreau with the assist. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/rLTR8X8RXl
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) January 15, 2024
For Chinakhov, the goal is his first in the new year, breaking a seven-game drought. Chinakhov skated on the first line with Gaudreau and Cole Sillinger.
At 3:28 of the second period on the power play, Voronkov scored his eighth of the year — first of the new year — to break a six-game goalless drought and tie the game at two. Boqvist picked up the assist, and Gaudreau notched his second. Boqvist has five assists in his last five games.
Voronkov from Boqvist and Gaudreau. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/tDyjj3PxR8
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) January 15, 2024
At 10:57 of the third period, Voronkov scored his second of the game to tie the game at three. Roslovic picked up the assist, the 200th point of his career.
Voronkov's second of the day, assisted by Jack Roslovic. pic.twitter.com/CFafxefisy #CBJ
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) January 15, 2024
Voronkov played on a line with Roslovic and Marchenko. Voronkov entered the day tied for sixth among rookies with 20 points. He had a career-high nine shots on goal on Monday.
A Familiar Ending
The Blue Jackets have had so many opportunities this season to find the equalizer or take the lead. It feels like most third periods begin tied or a one-goal difference.
Columbus entered today 3-15-1 when trailing after two, 2-9-1 at home in that situation. They came into the day 1-5-0 in one-goal games and somehow only 0-1-0 at home in that scenario.
Going into the third period down a goal and on the power play, could the Blue Jackets stop the red-hot Canucks?
The answer to that is yes as the Blue Jackets shut down the Canucks in the third period, overtime, and the shootout.
Kirill Marchenko scored the lone goal in the shootout to help Columbus win. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/f0iHBLNhvp
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) January 15, 2024
The Canucks were a perfect 26-0-0, 14-0-0 on the road, when leading after two periods.
Off Until Friday
The Blue Jackets are back at it on Friday, Jan. 19, when they take on the New Jersey Devils from Nationwide Arena at 7:00 p.m. ET.
