COLUMBUS – The Vancouver Canucks (34-24-6) look to finish up a four-game road trip on a winning note when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets (31-21-14) tonight at Nationwide Arena.

The Canucks are right back to work following a 4-2 loss in Toronto last night. Tyler Motte and Tanner Pearson scored the Vancouver goals while Thatcher Demko made 26 saves in his third straight start. Demko is 1-3-1 with a 3.52 GAA and an 88.2% save percentage in his last five decisions. With no game day skate today, the Canucks goaltending choice and line-up for tonight won’t be revealed until closer to game time. It’s quite possible with the busy schedule that Demko will get the night off and that newcomer Louis Domingue will make his Canucks debut. Zach MacEwen and Jordie Benn are also possibilities to draw into the line-up tonight.

Despite back to back losses (in Toronto and before that in Ottawa), the Canucks remain third in the Pacific Division. They are two points behind Edmonton in the divisional race, one up on Calgary and two in front of Arizona, Winnipeg and Nashville in the battle for the Western Conference wild card chase. The Canucks have at least a game in hand on all of those teams except for the Predators.

The Canucks are coming off a 5-6-2 month of February as they begin a busy March that will see them play 16 times in the next 30 nights.

For the first time in five games since coming over from Los Angeles, Tyler Toffoli was held off the scoresheet last night. The winger who had 19 shots on goal in his first four games as a Canuck did not register a single shot last night. The Canucks top line Toffoli with Elias Pettersson and JT Miller was held off the scoresheet. That snapped Miller’s four game point streak (3+5=8). Pettersson has 2+1=3 in his past six games. He has not had points in consecutive games since February 1st and 2nd at the New York Islanders and in Carolina.

Rookie blueliner Quinn Hughes saw his five game point streak (0+7=7) come to an end at Scotiabank Arena.

The Canucks have given up the first goal of the game in all three starts on this road trip and in five of their last six games overall. They have also surrendered a goal in the first minute of the third period in Montreal (50 second mark), Ottawa (:14) and Toronto (:18). They have not played with a lead since beating Boston 9-3 on February 22nd.

The Canucks are 14-17-2 on the road this season, but just 1-4-1 in their last six games as the visitors. Of their 18 remaining games, the Canucks will play 10 at home and -- including tonight -- eight more on the road.

The Blue Jackets return to action following back to back losses to Minnesota. Columbus dropped a 5-4 decision at Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday night and then fell 5-0 at home to the Wild on Friday. Columbus has just one win in its last 11 games – a 4-3 overtime victory at home against Ottawa last Monday night. That snapped an eight-game losing streak. During the team’s 1-5-5 skid, the Jackets have been outscored 39-26.

On Friday, Joonas Korpisalo allowed four goals on 14 shots before being replaced by Matiss Kivlenieks midway through the second period.

Injuries have taken their toll on John Tortorella’s team. The Jackets are without leading goal-scorer Oliver Bjorkstrand (21 goals) who is sidelined for 8-10 weeks with a fractured ankle. In his absence, defenseman Zach Werenski leads the Jackets – and all NHL blueliners – with 19 goals. Pierre-Luc Dubois has the team lead in points with 18+28=46.

Oddly, Bjorkstrand, Seth Jones and Cam Atkinson are all out of the Columbus line-up with ankle injuries while Josh Anderson is done for the year with a shoulder issue. The Jackets are expected to get a boost tonight with the return of veteran defenseman Ryan Murray who has missed the past 34 games with a back injury.

Dubois, Gustav Nyquist and Boone Jenner are the only three CBJ players to appear in all 66 of the team’s games so far this season.

The Blue Jackets are tied for 26th in the NHL in offense with 170 goals scored this season. Despite allowing five on Friday, they are fourth in goals surrendered (172). While they have struggled of late, they are still 19-12-4 on home ice this season.

After tonight, the Blue Jackets play nine of their next 12 games on the road. They will be in Vancouver next Sunday. The Jackets are the only team in the league the Canucks have not yet faced this season, however Columbus is not the only city the Canucks have yet to play in. They still have to make their first appearances of the season in Arizona and Colorado and will do that on back to back nights on March 12th and 13th.

POSSIBLE CANUCKS LINE-UP

Miller-Pettersson-Toffoli

Pearson-Horvat-Eriksson

Roussel-Gaudette-Virtanen

Motte-Beagle-Sutter

Edler-Stecher

Hughes-Tanev

Benn-Myers

Domingue

POSSIBLE BLUE JACKETS LINE-UP

Nyquist-Jenner-Foligno

Matteau-Wennberg-Nash

Shore-Dubois-Bemstrom

Robinson-Stenlund-MacInnis

Werenski-Savard

Murray-Nutivaara

Gavrikov-Peeke

Korpisalo