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Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky kicks away the shot from Vancouver Canucks centre Nic Dowd during their game on Jan. 12, 2018.Russell LaBounty

Sven Baertschi sparked a four-goal second period for Vancouver, Jacob Markstrom had 27 saves and the Canucks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 on Friday night.

Seth Jones put Columbus up 1-0 during a strong first period, but Vancouver power ahead in the second. Baertschi, Erik Gudbranson, Brandon Gaunce and Alexander Edler scored, and Jake Virtanen added an empty-net goal with nine seconds left in the third to help the Canucks snap a five-game skid.

Thomas Vanek and Henrik Sedin each had two assists for Vancouver, which won for just the third time since Dec. 7.

Sergei Bobrovsky let in four of the Canuck's 12 shots in the second period. He finished with 24 saves for the game. Matt Calvert also scored for Columbus.

The Blue Jackets are second in the Metropolitan Division as they begin their league-mandated five-day break. They dropped a second straight game to another of the NHL's worst teams after losing to Buffalo 3-1 on Thursday night.

Early on, though, it looked as if the game might go the Blue Jackets' way.

At 4:33 into the first period, Nick Foligno found Jones wide open at the top of the right circle, and the All-Star defenceman slapped a shot past Markstrom for his eighth goal.

Baertschi tied it with his ninth goal on a power play 1:19 into the second. Vanek set it up with a nifty behind-the-back pass across the goal mouth, and Baertschi swept it in from a sharp angle. Gudbranson gave the Canucks the lead at 5:38 when he beat Bobrovsky from the right point.

The Canucks got another power-play goal at 14:31. Gaunce broke his stick on the shot, but the puck slipped in between Bobrovsky's pads. The fourth goal came at 17:15 when Edler's shot deflected off the skate of defender Markus Nutivaara.

Calvert made it 4-2 with 7:25 remaining, but the Blue Jackets couldn't get closer.

The head coach of Canada’s Olympic men’s hockey team, which includes no current NHLers, says the players shared a “dream” to compete for their country. Willie Desjardins was at the team announcement Wednesday in Calgary.

The Canadian Press

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