Columbus Blue Jackets vs Vancouver-canucks Picks and Predictions March 28th 2025

Wild Card Stakes Rise as Canucks Visit Blue Jackets

With the regular season winding down, the playoff push intensifies — and Friday night’s clash between the Vancouver Canucks and the Columbus Blue Jackets is loaded with postseason implications for both teams.

Vancouver (34-26-12, 80 points) is clawing for a wild-card berth in the Western Conference and rides into Columbus with back-to-back wins, including a 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Columbus (32-29-9, 73 points) snapped a six-game skid with a shootout win over those same Islanders and remains in the mix for the Eastern Conference’s final wild card spot.

“Every game is like a must win, so there’s no foot off the gas here,” said Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes. “We just have to reset mentally and physically.”

Canucks Finding Form at the Right Time

The Canucks have gone 2-1-1 through the first four games of a six-game road trip. Against the Islanders, Kiefer Sherwood erupted for two goals and an assist, while Drew O’Connor and Pius Suter added two helpers each. Vancouver tallied four unanswered goals to seal the win, showcasing the balanced offense they’ve been building.

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Goaltender Thatcher Demko also appears to be returning to form, picking up his second straight win since coming back from a six-week absence due to a lower-body injury.

“There’s not many [games] left, so we’re just doing what we can to stay in it here,” Demko said. “We’re going to keep pushing until the end and see if we can squeeze a couple more out.”

Vancouver’s upcoming stretch won’t be easy — six of their final 10 games are against current playoff teams. But they’ve shown they can rally when it counts, just as they did in their earlier season win over Columbus where they overcame a two-goal deficit.

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Blue Jackets Battling Back in the East

The Blue Jackets haven’t gone away quietly. After getting dominated in the first period by the Islanders, they regrouped and rallied behind goals from Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko, and Boone Jenner. Columbus also received a lift from the return of Sean Monahan, who had two assists in his first game back from a 28-game absence.

“We weren’t playing our game… We knew we had to be better,” Jenner said. “You add those two guys in your locker room, it’s going to help you.”

Columbus has embraced the gritty mindset needed for a playoff chase. Their ninth short-handed goal of the season — scored by Jenner — illustrates the tenacity that’s kept them alive in the East.

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Additionally, Erik Gudbranson returned from a 66-game injury absence, bolstering a defense that needs every ounce of stability down the stretch.

They’ll need that edge again Friday if they hope to split the season series with Vancouver. The Canucks bested them 5-2 back in December behind a two-goal performance from Suter and contributions from Brock Boeser and Sherwood.