VANCOUVER — Elias Pettersson scored twice, and Bo Horvat had an NHL career-high four assists for the Vancouver Canucks in a 5-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Rogers Arena on Friday.
“Everyone was burying their chances for me,” Horvat said. “I’m not the type of guy, especially in recent years, to be dishing the puck like that, but it definitely feels good to see them go in when I do.”
Quinn Hughes had a goal and an assist, Brock Boeser and JT Miller each had two assists, and Collin Delia made 24 saves for the Canucks (20-26-3), who bounced back from a 6-1 loss at the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.
Vancouver has won two of three games since Rick Tocchet replaced Bruce Boudreau as coach on Sunday. It was the Canucks’ last game before their bye week; they return Feb. 6 at the New Jersey Devils.
“I liked the resilience and in the NHL you have to be a resilient team,” Tocchet said. “We had a stinker in Seattle, and we came back and put in a good game plan. I thought the coaches did a great job. We met with some players that we thought didn’t play well in Seattle, and they came back strong. with some good efforts.”
The Canucks announced after the game that forward Ilya Mikheyevwho scored in the first period, is being shut down for the remainder of the season and will have surgery to repair a torn ACL in his knee sustained during a Sept. 25 preseason games.
Mikheyev wore a brace to continue playing and had 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) in 46 games this season.
“It was a real challenge, but we worked with it [the] medical staff and [tried to] find some way [so] I can play much better like with this knee, [but] now it’s time [to have surgery]Mikheyev said.
Kirill Marchenko scored twice and Joonas Korpisalo made 29 saves for the Blue Jackets (15-31-3), who visited the Kraken on Saturday. It was their first regulation loss in four games (2-1-1).
“We just weren’t really into this one,” Columbus coach Brad Larsen said. “We didn’t have much energy really all game. We had a little bit of juice in the third, but a couple of tough bounces obviously off the end wall and another one off us, but didn’t have the gas, the execution . It was throughout our lineup. I don’t know if we’re just low on energy or what, but we didn’t have it tonight.”
Video: CBJ@VAN: Pettersson gives Canucks early lead in 1st
Pettersson gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead 1:25 into the first period, scoring short-handed after the Columbus forward Patrick Laine‘s pass bounced past the Blue Jackets defenseman Adam Boqvist at the blue line. Horvat then swept it across to Pettersson for a quick deke to the forehand after winning a race to the puck at the other end.
“No one was happy [with] the way we played in Seattle, so we wanted to bounce back and come out with a good effort,” Pettersson said. “And I think we did. Obviously, some parts of the game we can work on, but overall I think it was good.”
Video: CBJ@VAN: Pettersson nets 2nd goal of game in 3rd
Marchenko tied it 1-1 on the same power play, tipping Boqvist’s point shot past a sliding Delia at 2:08, with Laine getting the secondary assist. It was the third straight game with a goal for Marchenko and extended Laine’s point streak to five games and eight points (two goals, six assists).
Hughes put the Canucks ahead 2-1 at 13:21 with a power-play one-timer from the point past a screened Korpisalo.
Mikheyev made it 3-1 at 19:15 with a shot that deflected off the end glass and bounced off the skate of Korpisalo as he was sliding back to his post. It was Mikheyev’s 100th NHL point (49 goals, 51 assists) in his 192nd game.
“That’s a tough one,” Horvat said of Mikheyev needing surgery. “Happy he got a goal there, his 100th [point], on his last game of the year. He was a big part of us this year, and he’s going to be a big part going forward.”
Video: CBJ@VAN: Mikheyev increases Canucks’ lead in 1st
Dakota Joshua extended it to 4-1 at 8:20 of the third period, scoring off the rush when his cross-ice pass deflected off the skate of Boqvist.
Pettersson made it 5-1 at 12:52 after scoring on a power play one-timer.
“It’s tough when you’re chasing the game, but you work for your bounces and they were working and we didn’t create enough because we just needed to step it up,” Columbus captain Boone Jenner said. “We weren’t at the same level as them in the battles.”
Marchenko banked a shot in off Delia from below the goal line on a power play at 16:52 for his second goal and the 5-2 final. The 22-year-old Russian rookie has 13 goals in 26 games this season.
“Of course, I have more confidence, but we talk about goals,” Marchenko said. “I want to play better in all components and just play better each puck, play better in the [defensive] zone. I want to play better [throughout] my whole game.”
NOTES: Marchenko moved up from the third line to the second, a spot that opened with news earlier Friday that forward Gustav Nyquist is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury sustained Wednesday at the Edmonton Oilers. … Canucks forward Lane Pederson played 10:58 on a top line with Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko despite being placed on waivers earlier in the day for the purpose of being sent to Abbotsford of the American Hockey League this week.
.