The Columbus Blue Jackets returned home Thursday, battling for their playoff lives after winning just once on their preceding four-game road trip. Their opponents Thursday were the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights. 

Vegas goaltender Adin Hill put together an outstanding performance, stopping eight shots on goal in the first period before the Golden Knights had managed one. Vegas’s first shot, however, found its way into the net on their first power play with eight minutes left in the opening frame.

Despite being on the power play for six minutes in the first, the Blue Jackets couldn’t take advantage of the extra player. The Knights added a goal late in the period from Brandon Saad and took a 2-0 lead to the locker room at the first intermission.

In the second period, Pavel Dorofeyev recorded a goal at the 12:17 mark to make it 3-0. There was no further scoring until Alex Pietrangelo posted an empty-netter with 4:22 left and the final score was 4-0.

Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins stopped 25 of 28 shots but lost his fourth straight game. Christian Fischer played his first game as a Blue Jacket. Jake Christiansen left the game with an upper body injury in the second period and will not play Saturday against the New York Rangers.

Columbus will play their next three games at home: Saturday against the Rangers, Monday against New Jersey, and next Thursday against Florida. With Thursday’s loss, the Blue Jackets are in the East’s second wild card spot, one point ahead of Montreal.