Blue Jackets at Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks begin their post-All Star break push for a playoff spot Thursday as they host the Columbus Blue Jackets, who sit at the bottom of the NHL in points. The Canucks are getting healthier with center Brandon Sutter back in the lineup, while defenseman Dan Hamhuis and captain Henrik Sedin - their second-leading scorer - are on the mend.
Hamhuis, who has been out since Dec. 9 with a broken jaw, has been practicing and Sedin (37 points in 44 contests) could be back Thursday after missing the last four games with an upper-body injury. “I am looking forward to seeing our whole group being healthy,” Canucks general manager Jim Benning told the Vancouver Sun. “I think we have a favorable schedule going forward where we have played a lot of road games already.” Columbus registered 45 shots against the Canucks in a 5-3 loss on Nov. 10 and dropped a 5-1 decision at Edmonton on Tuesday after outshooting the Oilers 37-35. Columbus coach John Tortorella returns to Vancouver for the first time since being fired by the Canucks after going 34-31-11 in 2013-14.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Columbus), Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (19-28-5): All-Star Brandon Saad has registered three goals in his last three games and is four away from equaling his career high of 23 set last season with Chicago. Saad is tied with Scott Hartnell for the team lead at 35 points, Cam Atkinson is next with 32 after scoring four goals in a three-game span and Brandon Dubinsky has 30 – 14 in his last 14 games. The Blue Jackets have given up four power-play goals in their last three contests and rank last in the league in goals allowed (3.19).
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (20-19-11): Sutter recorded a goal in his first game back from a sports hernia that kept him sidelined for 2 1/2 months and can add juice to an offense that sits in the bottom-fifth of the league at 2.36 goals per contest. There is optimism the Canucks can turn that around as All-Star Daniel Sedin tops the team with 21 goals and 44 points while the 20-year-old Bo Horvat has tallied seven times in his last 11 contests. Brandon Prust was placed on waivers and 19-year-old rookie Jake Virtanen has taken his spot.
OVERTIME
1. Columbus D Seth Jones has recorded six assists and a plus-3 rating in 11 games since being acquired from Nashville.
2. The Canucks have gone six games without a power-play goal, coming up empty on eight opportunities.
3. Blue Jackets G Joonas Korpisalo gave up five goals Tuesday after earning the team a point in three straight starts (2-0-1).