Canucks at Blue Jackets preview

CANUCKS (16-21-6) at BLUE JACKETS (25-17-3)
7 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, SNP, FS-O, NHL.TV

Columbus lost 3-1 at the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday and has scored seven goals in regulation in the past six games.
The Canucks seek to end a five-game losing streak (0-4-1), their longest since losing the final seven games (0-7-0) of the 2016-17 season. They are 1-7-2 in the past 10 games and 2-11-2 since Dec. 7.

Players to watch

Center Sam Gagner returns to Columbus for the first time since he had an NHL career-high 50 points (18 goals, 32 assists) last season with the Blue Jackets. He signed a three-year, $9.45 million contract with the Canucks on July 1. Gagner has 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 43 games this season.
Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones, named to the 2018 Honda NHL All-Star Game in Tampa on Jan. 28, has five assists in the past three games and 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in his past 12.

They said it

"We're in no position to worry whether a team played the night before or not." -- Canucks coach Travis Green, on the Blue Jackets having played Thursday
"We know we need to get inside. It's easy to pick it apart. There were some shifts we were right there, and sometimes where the puck bounces and different things happen." -- Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella on his team scoring one goal against the Sabres on Thursday

Canucks projected lineup

Daniel Sedin -- Henrik Sedin -- Brock Boeser
Thomas Vanek -- Sam Gagner -- Markus Granlund
Sven Baertschi -- Brendan Gaunce -- Nikolay Goldobin
Loui Eriksson -- Nic Dowd -- Jake Virtanen
Alexander Edler -- Troy Stecher
Ben Hutton -- Chris Tanev
Erik Gudbranson -- Michael Del Zotto
Jacob Markstrom
Anders Nilsson
Scratched: Derrick Pouliot, Michael Chaput, Alex Biega
Injured:Bo Horvat (broken ankle), Brandon Sutter (groin)

Blue Jackets projected lineup

Artemi Panarin -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Josh Anderson
Boone Jenner -- Alex Wennberg -- Nick Foligno
Matt Calvert -- Lukas Sedlak -- Oliver Bjorkstrand
Tyler Motte -- Jordan Schroeder -- Markus Hannikainen
Zach Werenski -- Seth Jones
Markus Nutivaara -- David Savard
Scott Harrington -- Jack Johnson
Sergei Bobrovsky
Joonas Korpisalo
Scratched:None
Injured: Sonny Milano (upper body), Ryan Murray (upper body), Brandon Dubinsky (fractured orbital bone), Cam Atkinson (broken foot)

Status report

Tanev returns after missing two games. He lost six teeth after taking a puck to the mouth against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 6.

Stat pack

Boeser, named to the All-Star Game, has 15 points (nine goals, six assists) in his past 15 games. … Panarin has three points (two goals, one assist) in three games.