3 takeaways as Vancouver Canucks rallied from a 4-1 deficit to stun Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 in OT
On Saturday night, the Vancouver Canucks won against the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4. They stormed back from a 4-1 deficit in overtime thanks to a Brock Boeser hat trick.
Heading into their All-Star game break, the Canucks are in uncharted territory as the top team in the NHL with 71 points. Even though the franchise has won the President's Trophy twice, it's been over a decade since they were this good.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets continue to watch their season slip away and are in line for another top-five pick in the upcoming 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
3 talking points from Vancouver Canucks' comeback 5-4 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets
#1. The Canucks extend their current point streak to 11 games
Vancouver was already a top team in the NHL at the beginning of January. It began the new year with a win on Jan. 2 but lost the following game on Jan. 4. It was the last time they failed to register a point.
The outcome of Saturday's night game looked pretty conclusive at the start of the third period. Yet, the Canucks rallied with four straight goals and picked up an additional two points. They have scored 20 out of a possible total of 22 points in their past 11 contests.
Outside of the Edmonton Oilers, who have won their last 16 games, the Canucks are the second-hottest team in the NHL. They continue to share the top spot with the Boston Bruins, each team earning 71 points heading into the break.
#2. Brock Boeser is the eighth player to reach 30 goals in 2023-24
J.T. Miller (fifth), Elias Pettersson (eighth) and Quinn Hughes (ninth) are some of the top scorers in the NHL. However, quietly, Boeser became just the seventh player in the league to reach 30 goals. He netted his third hat trick of the season to rally Vancouver in the third period.
After only 49 games, Boeser has set a new career high, surpassing the 29-goal mark he set in 2017-18. Although he ranks 19th in overall scoring, he's only the eighth skater this year to collect 30 goals thus far.
Although Pettersson had two goals, including the overtime winner, Boeser's performance in a critical game heading into the All-Star break will be remembered.
#3. The Blue Jackets continue to watch bad January games sink their season
Heading into 2024, the Blue Jackets were 12-18-8 and in no position to challenge for a playoff spot. Unfortunately, any hopes of making strides for a higher finish in the standings continue to slip away. They blew a 4-1 lead on Saturday, giving the team a 3-5-2 record in January.
Before this recent stretch, the team had a goal differential of minus-21, but in this month alone, they are minus-14. They have given up at least four goals in seven of their past ten games. This means Columbus can't score and has a problem keeping the puck out of its net.
Of course, fans could expect some growing pains under a new coach. But since the team just drafted second overall at the 2023 NHL entry draft, they've made little to no progress this season. They are in line for another top pick despite having Johnny Gaudreau, Patrik Laine, Adam Fantilli and Zach Werenski in the lineup.