Canucks top Blue Jackets, end five-game skid

COLUMBUS -- The Vancouver Canucks scored four consecutive goals in the second period and ended a five-game losing streak with a 5-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Friday.

Sven Baerstchi and Brendan Gaunce scored power-play goals in the second for Vancouver, and Erik Gudbranson and Alexander Edler scored in the period. Jake Virtanen scored into an empty net with nine seconds left.
"It's huge," Gaunce said. "We were wavering in our confidence there a little bit. It seemed like we couldn't do anything to get a win. Today was mainly about competing."
WATCH: [All Canucks vs. Blue Jackets highlights]
Thomas Vanek and Henrik Sedin each had two assists, and Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves for the Canucks (17-21-6), who were 0-4-1 in their past five games.
"We played a 60-minute game," Markstrom said. "We had a good road game. It's obviously nice to get some bounces and score four goals and then get the empty-netter. This is how we have to play at all times."
Vancouver had not scored more than two goals in its previous four games.
The Blue Jackets (25-18-3) hit the post three times.
"It was nice to get some puck luck on our side," Canucks coach Travis Green said. "Sometimes that's the way it goes."

Seth Jones and Matt Calvert scored, Nick Foligno had two assists, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 24 saves for Columbus.
Jones put the Blue Jackets ahead 1-0 on the power play at 4:33 of the first period with his eighth goal.
"I like how we stuck with it," Green said. "There wasn't a sense of panic on the bench even though the shots were 8-1, or 8-2 (for Columbus)."
Baertschi tied it 1-1 at 1:19 of the second with a power-play goal. Vanek, at the right post, sent a behind-the-back pass across the front of the goal to Baertschi for his ninth goal.
"You score one on the power play, you need your penalty kill to step up," Foligno said. "Tonight we didn't do that. It cost us."
After a Blue Jackets turnover, the Canucks kept the puck in the zone, and Gudbranson scored from the right point with Sedin setting a screen in front to make it 2-1 at 5:38.
It was Gudbranson's first goal of the season in his 31st game.
"We got some bad bounces." Jones said. "We gave them some opportunities and they capitalized on them."
Gaunce broke his stick scoring on the power play to make it 3-1 at 14:31. Edler scored at 17:15 for a 4-1 lead.
Calvert tipped Scott Harrington's shot to make it 4-2 at 12:35 of the third period.

Goal of the game

Gaunce's goal at 14:31 of the second period.

Save of the game

Markstrom's save on Boone Jenner at 16:35 of the third period.

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Highlight of the game

Edler's goal at 17:15 of the second period.

They said it

"We were excellent in our own end. We really didn't give them much. There's good players on the other team that created some opportunities but we managed that game extremely well." -- Canucks defenseman Erik Gudbranson
"It was a funky second period, that's for sure. We had a good first period. You've got to make your puck luck. We had luck and a lot of it was bad in that second period." -- Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella

Need to know

Canucks defenseman Chris Tanev (facial injuries) returned after missing two games. … Vancouver forward Brandon Sutter (groin) might play Sunday after missing the past 21 games. He has not played since Nov. 24. … Vanek has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in his past 10 games … Former Blue Jackets forward Sam Gagner got an assist on Baertschi's goal in his first game in Columbus since signing with the Canucks on July 1. … Jones has six points (one goal, five assists) in a four-game point streak. … Columbus begins its mandated five-day break on Saturday.

What's next

Canucks:At the Minnesota Wild on Sunday (8 p.m. ET; SN, FS-N, NHL.TV)
Blue Jackets: Host the Dallas Stars on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; FS-O, FS-SW, NHL.TV)