Boeser nets winner as Vancouver Canucks edge Blue Jackets 4-3

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Brock Boeser’s third-period goal stood up as the winner, helping the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-3 win over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets Saturday at Rogers Arena.

Jake DeBrusk, Drew O’Connor and Conor Garland also scored for the Canucks (8-8-0), with Kevin Lankinen earning the win in goal, making 29 saves. Kiril Marchenko (2) and Dmitri Voronko scored for Columbus. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 21 of 25 shots and took the loss for Columbus.

Lankinen was sharp in a scoreless first period, with the Blue Jackets outshooting the Canucks 11-7.

DeBrusk opened the scoring 5:28 into the second. He jumped onto the ice to replace Max Sasson, who had to go to the bench after losing his helmet. DeBrusk took a pass from O’Connor and chipped a shot over the glove of Merzlikins for his fourth tally of the season.

The Jackets answered 1:18 later when Marchenko knocked home a rebound after Lankinen stopped Voronko.

Just 14 seconds after the goal, Columbus forward Mathieu Olivier was given a major penalty and a game misconduct after hitting Vancouver defenceman Elias Pettersson from behind, driving his face into the glass. A shaken Petterson left the game but later returned to the bench.

The Canucks failed to capitalize on the ensuing five-minute power play.

Columbus took a 2-1 lead at 13:02, when Voronkov poked a loose puck past Lankinen following a scramble.

The Canucks pulled even with 57 seconds left in the period, when O’Connor scored his third of the season off a rebound from a slot shot from Quinn Hughes. O’Connor has six points in his last five games.

In the third, Garland gave the Canucks a 3-2 lead at 6:17. Tyler Myers came off the Vancouver bench, took a pass from forward Elias Pettersson and made a nice move to get a shot on Merzlikins, with Garland jamming home the rebound for his fourth of the year. Garland has 11 points in his last 10 games.

Marchenko’s second of the game pulled the Blue Jackets event at 3-3 with 10:13 left in the period. His long shot eluded Lankinen for his eighth of the season.

Boeser put the Canucks back on top with 5:45 remaining, knocking down a pass from Kiefer Sherwood and snapping a shot from the right side that found its way past Merzlikins. He has a four-game goal-scoring streak against Columbus and now has seven goals on the season.

Columbus had a late power play with just under three minutes to go and pulled Merzlikins for an extra attacker but couldn’t beat Lankinen.

The Canucks are back in action Sunday (7 p.m.) when they host the Colorado Avalanche, who pounded the host Edmonton Oilers 9-1 on Saturday.

NOTES: Lankinen is now 9-3-1 versus the Blue Jackets… The game was Hockey Fights Cancer night in Vancouver, bringing together the hockey community to support cancer patients and their families… Sherwood’s assist was his first of the year to go with nine goals… Both teams were 0-for-3 on the power play.