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Marchenko scores the winner in a shootout, Blue Jackets beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3

Jan 15, 2024 | 2:31 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kiril Marchenko scored the only goal in a four-round shootout to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-3 win over Vancouver Monday, ending the Canucks’ five-game winning streak.

After Marchenko slid the puck between Casey DeSmith’s pads, Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins blocked Pius Suter’s shot to help the Blue Jackets’ end a three-game losing streak.

Columbus rallied three times in regulation with Dmitri Voronkov’s second goal of game with 9:03 left in the third period forcing the overtime.

Yegor Chinakhov also had a goal and Merzlikins — playing for the first time since Dec. 29 — made 27 saves.

J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson each had a goal and an assist for Vancouver. Conor Garland also scored and DeSmith had 41 stops for the Pacific Division leaders.

Miller got credit for his 20th goal on a deflected puck that tumbled past Merzlikins in the first period.

Thirty seconds later, Chinakhov was waiting for a perfect pass from Johnny Gaudreau from behind the goal line and beat DeSmith in close. Garland’s one-timer from the slot gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead late in the first.

Voronkov deflected in a long shot by Adam Boqvist to tie the game at 2 early in the second period. On a power play later in the period, Pettersson beat Merzlikins over the glove from the right dot for his 23rd goal of the season.

UP NEXT

Canucks: Host Arizona on Thursday night.

Blue Jackets: Host New Jersey on Friday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Mitch Stacy, The Associated Press