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(Sports Network) - The Vancouver Canucks will resume the longest sequence of road games in NHL history when the Northwest Division co-leaders take on the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight at Nationwide Arena in the first outing for both teams after the Olympic stoppage.

With the city of Vancouver hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics, the hometown Canucks were forced to play their final eight contests prior to the NHL suspending its schedule in mid-February for the Games. The club will begin its post-break slate with a six-game road trip before finally returning to GM Place on March 13.

Vancouver has gone 4-4-0 thus far on the epic stretch, but was a 6-2 loser at Minnesota on February 14 in its most recent time out. Goaltender Roberto Luongo struggled between the pipes in that one, with the four-time All-Star yielding five goals on 32 shots before being pulled with 11:56 remaining in the third period.

Luongo was one of seven Canucks who did have the opportunity to compete in their home venue for the Olympics. The standout netminder was in the cage for Canada's memorable 3-2 overtime victory over the United States in Sunday's Gold Medal Game and stopped 34-of-36 shots, with one of the goals allowed coming off the stick of Vancouver teammate Ryan Kesler.

Kesler took home a silver medal as part of the U.S. squad, while defenseman Sami Salo earned a bronze as a member of Team Finland. Forward Pavol Demitra, playing for fourth-place Slovakia, led the tournament in scoring with 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) and was named to the All-Star team.

Sweden's roster included Henrik Sedin, the Canucks' leading scorer this season, and his twin brother Daniel, while defenseman Christian Ehrhoff also participated representing his native Germany.

Kesler will carry a five-game point streak (2 goals, 3 assists) into tonight's matchup after netting an assist against Minnesota.

Columbus' Rick Nash also won gold as a member of the Canadian team, and the high-scoring left wing notched a point in each the Blue Jackets' last seven tilts before the hiatus. The former No. 1 overall pick had a goal for the fourth straight game in the team's most recent time out, a 5-4 shootout loss to Central Division leader Chicago on February 14.

Blue Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin, who competed for Russia in the Olympics, tied the game at 4-4 with a power-play tally in the third period, but Chicago's Patrick Sharp and Troy Brouwer both scored in the shootout to give the Blackhawks the two points.

"I thought we played a good game, we knew (the Blackhawks) were a good team," said Columbus head coach Claude Noel. "I thought we were resilient, certainly coming back and the goal at the end. I really liked the way we managed the game."

The loss was the second in a row for Columbus, following a 4-3 home setback to the Canucks on February 12 in which Vancouver scored two unanswered goals in the third period. Andrew Raycroft started in place of Luongo in that game and turned aside 32-of-35 shots.

The Blue Jackets have still prevailed in three of their last four matchups with Vancouver held at Nationwide Arena, although the Canucks have won two of the three overall meetings between the clubs this season.

Vancouver enters tonight's play tied with Colorado for first place in the Northwest Division with 76 points.