GAME ESSENTIALS

THE SKINNY

The Canucks closed out a threegame road trip with another loss. They have now dropped seven in a row and have been shut out in four of their last five games. The Blues jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead on goals by Kyle Brodziak and Robby Fabbri, pictured. Carl Gunnarsson made it 3-0 15 minutes into the second period and Joel Edmundson scored his first NHL goal at 12:15 of the third to make it 4-0.

BY THE NUMBERS

The Canucks were outshot 37-15. Brian Elliott, pictured, registered his third straight shutout for the Blues. ... Defenceman Matt Bartkowski led the Canucks with 23:17 of ice time. ... The Canucks actually won the faceoff battle, going 32-25. Bo Horvat was 16-5. ... St. Louis was credited with 35 hits to Vancouver’s 14.

MAGIC GONE

When the Canucks acquired Emerson Etem, pictured, in a trade with the New York Rangers, the hope was he and Linden Vey could rekindle some of the magic they had as linemates with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. It hasn’t happened. Etem has provided the Canucks with some speed, but there has been no bottom line. He has now gone 14 games without a point. Vey hasn’t had a point in his last nine games.

ROSTER MOVES

The Canucks returned forward Alex Grenier to their AHL farm team in Utica. Grenier failed to register a point in his recent five-game stint with the Canucks. ... Veteran Derek Dorsett returned after missing five games with an upper-body injury. Rookie Jared McCann sat out to make room for Dorsett. ... Defenceman Andrey Pedan returned to the lineup after sitting out Thursday’s game. Alex Biega was a healthy scratch Friday night.

WHO’S NEXT

The Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks visit Rogers Arena on Easter Sunday in a 5 p.m. start. This is the third and final meeting of the season between the teams. Daniel Sedin had a hat trick in a 6-3 win Nov. 21 at Rogers Arena. But the Hawks blanked the Canucks 4-0 on Dec. 13 in Chicago.