When the Blue Jackets and Canucks met for the first time this season, Columbus was getting off to a solid start while Vancouver was still searching for its first win.
Things sure have changed since then.
Looking to continue its climb up the Western Conference standings, Vancouver begins a four-game homestand tonight at GM Place versus free-falling Columbus, which is trying to end a club-record 12-game road losing streak.
The Canucks lost three straight to begin the season, with that third loss coming to the Blue Jackets, but have since been climbing steadily up the standings. They won six of their next eight following that loss to Columbus and now have 51 points on the season, good enough for the eighth spot in the West.
Vancouver, just three points back of first-place Colorado in the Northwest Division, wrapped up a 3-0-1 road trip on Saturday with a 3-1 victory in Dallas. Daniel Sedin had the game-winning goal on the power play in the third period, Ryan Kesler added a goal and an assist and Roberto Luongo made 31 saves.
Henrik Sedin notched two assists, including one on Daniel's game-winner, and is second in the NHL with 55 points. He posted 20 assists and 25 points in December, earning the top star for the month on Monday, and has four goals and seven helpers on a six-game point streak.
"Confidence comes with being prepared I think, and it doesn't matter what kind of work you have" said Sedin on Vancouver's Web site. "If you're prepared, you know you're going to do well.
Vancouver has won six of its last eight at home and is 16-6-0 as the host this year.
That early-season win for the Blue Jackets over the Canucks was part of a 12-6-2 start that followed Columbus' first-ever playoff appearance last season. However, the club is just 3-13-7 since and has lost 12 of its last 13.
The Blue Jackets were 1-0-2 in their previous three games before Saturday's 3-2 setback to the Avalanche. It marked the 10th straight game that Columbus scored two goals or fewer, a club record.
Derick Brassard and Kristian Huselius got the goals for Columbus, which received 34 saves from Steve Mason.
"We made two mistakes, both defending mistakes, and they end up in the net. We lost coverage on two players. It is a 2-1 game and we're playing great, we come back after the second, they score that goal and it makes it a game," said Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock.
Columbus begins a three-game road trip tonight looking to end a 12-game skid as the guest (0-8-4). It is just 6-12-4 as the guest club this year.
Mason made 40 saves in the 5-3 win at Vancouver on October 5, Columbus' sixth win in the last seven meetings of the series overall and third in last four at GM Place.
Luongo, meanwhile, gave up four goals on 12 shots in that game and was pulled early in the second period.
