Columbus @ Vancouver preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 11, 2018 ) Vancouver 3, Columbus 2

The Columbus Blue Jackets attempt to salvage the finale of their four-game road trip and remain close in the Eastern Conference wild-card race when they visit the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday. Columbus has gone 0-2-1 on its trek and is in the midst of a five-game road skid (0-4-1) during which it has scored a total of four goals.

Defenseman David Savard tallied in Thursday's 4-1 loss at Edmonton for the Blue Jackets, who trail Montreal by three points for the second wild-card spot and are five behind Carolina for the first. Columbus is winless since March 15, when it blanked the Hurricanes 3-0 at home. Vancouver had its five-game point streak (4-0-1) halted Saturday as it dropped a 3-1 decision to visiting Calgary. Brock Boeser scored to extend his point streak to nine games for the Canucks, who are 1-1-0 on their season-high seven-game homestand and six points behind Colorado for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Columbus), Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver)

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (40-30-4): Columbus is hopeful it will have Sergei Bobrovsky in the crease on Sunday as the 30-year-old Russian missed the setback against the Oilers with an upper-body injury but participated in Saturday's practice. A two-time Vezina Trophy winner, Bobrovsky has posted a 1.66 goals-against average and .946 save percentage over his last six starts - four of which were victories. Artemi Panarin, who leads the team with 76 points, is four assists away from matching the career high he set last season and reaching 200 in the NHL.

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (32-33-10): Rookie Elias Pettersson is riding a five-game point streak during which he has registered a goal and five assists. Defenseman Alex Edler's hot stretch continued Saturday as he helped set up Vancouver's tally, giving him a goal and five assists in his last three contests. Center Bo Horvat, who is tied with Pettersson for the team lead with 27 goals after recording three in the last three games, is two shy of 100 for his career.

OVERTIME

1. Blue Jackets RW Cam Atkinson tops the club with 38 goals but is in the midst of a six-game drought.

2. Boeser has collected four goals and six assists during his career-best point streak.

3. Columbus D Markus Nutivaara's next game will be his 200th in the NHL.

PREDICTION: Canucks 3, Blue Jackets 2