Vladislav Gavrikov scored at 3:21 of overtime as the Columbus Blue Jackets rallied for a 4-3 home victory over Vancouver on Tuesday, a result that kept the Canucks winless on the young season after again failing to hold a two-goal lead.
Off a two-on-one, Yegor Chinakhov (two assists) slid a cross-slot pass to Gavrikov, who blew it past Vancouver netminder Spencer Martin (29 saves) for the Blue Jackets’ first win in four tries this season.
Gavrikov also added an assist, Johnny Gaudreau registered a goal and an assist and Justin Danforth and Zach Werenski also scored for Columbus, which got 32 saves from Elvis Merzlikins.
Bo Horvat scored twice and Elias Pettersson had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who already had set an NHL record by losing their first three contests in a season while holding multi-goal leads in each one. That happened again Tuesday after Vancouver, which has opened with four straight defeats for the first time in club history, led 2-0 following the first period.
Just 42 seconds after Werenski scored with 13:42 left in regulation, Horvat was positioned well enough to get a piece of Tucker Poolman’s drive to push it by Merzlikins for a 3-2 Vancouver lead. However, Gaudreau’s wraparound with 10:33 remaining tied the game again.
As has been the case in three of the Canucks’ four games, Vancouver opened the scoring. This time through an odd-man rush 7:51 into the contest while killing a Columbus power play. Pettersson slid a perfect saucer pass to Horvat, who one-timed the puck by Merzlikins.
A little more than three minutes later, Pettersson scored on the short side after playing a long bounce from the end boards to give Vancouver that dreaded two-goal advantage.
Columbus came out more aggressive in the second period, outshooting the visitors 12-7 in the frame. The Blue Jackets were finally rewarded when Chinakhov threw the puck toward the net and Danforth got on enough of his stick on the bouncer to make it 2-1 with 4:18 remaining in the period.
–Field Level Media
