Canucks: 3 takeaways from 4-3 comeback win over Columbus

Make that five in a row for the Vancouver Canucks.

The team came into Rogers Arena on Tuesday night, hoping to cap off their current six-game homestand on a winning note against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The game looked all but lost after the first period, with Columbus outhustling their opponent en route to three straight goals. Fortunately, the Canucks were able to bounce back in the next two periods, registering 30+ shots on goal in the final 40 minutes while Columbus was barely able to scrape together 10.

Vancouver’s hard work and persistence eventually paid off in the end, helping new head coach Bruce Boudreau maintain his perfect record with his new club. With the win, the Canucks now just sit one point back of the sixth-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. Tuesday’s comeback parade also marked the first win in which the team was able to erase a three-goal deficit at home since 1996, while their five-game winning streak marked the first of its kind since Vancouver’s playoff matchups against Minnesota and St. Louis in the bubble.

Their winning streak also couldn’t have come at a better time, given that teams like Edmonton and Calgary are starting to cool off from their hot starts to the season. Edmonton currently holds the second and final wild card position in the Western Conference, but only by a four-point margin, and have also lost six straight games to boot.

Without further ado, here are 3 takeaways from Tuesday’s big 4-3 win over Columbus:

Oh captain, my captain

Bo Horvat was on a mission on Tuesday night.

Like the rest of his teammates, Horvat didn’t do very much in the first period, starting off the game with Tyler Motte and Nils Höglander.

The 26-year-old found another gear heading into the second period, skating hard and creating high-quality scoring chances which eventually led to his first tally of the night, an absolute dart that whizzed past the shoulder of netminder Elvis Merzlikins to inject some much-needed life into his team.

Horvat’s most dominant period came in the final frame, where he essentially carried the play and his team whenever he hit the ice, this time skating with Höglander and Jason Dickinson. The captain has a handful of glorious chances early on, including what would’ve been a backhand mid-air, highlight-reel tally, but was stymied by the crossbar.

Horvat was eventually rewarded for his efforts late in the third period, capitalizing on a beautiful cross-ice pass from J.T. Miller on the powerplay. Horvat nearly gave the puck away at the blueline prior to the goal, but was able to sneak in on the left flank to redirect the puck past Merzlikins, which stood as the game-winner.

With the two tallies, Horvat is now up to nine goals and nine assists in 18 games but, more importantly, has re-emerged as the leader that this team needs if they want to claw their way back into the playoff conversation.