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Coyotes try to keep offense rolling in Colorado

Jan 6, 2011 - 4:21 PM (Sports Network) - Aiming to make a climb in a tight Pacific Division race, the Phoenix Coyotes will try to keep up their recent offensive surge this evening when they visit the Colorado Avalanche and the Pepsi Center.

After finishing second in the division last season and making the playoffs for the first time since 2002, the Coyotes are currently last in the Pacific standings with 44 points. However, they are just one point back of the fourth- place Kings and eight behind the front-running Stars.

Phoenix's offense has begun to pick it up as of late as the club has 18 goals over its last four games. The Coyotes halted a two-game slide and won for just the third time in eight games on Tuesday with a 4-2 home triumph over the Blue Jackets.

Shane Doan had the game-winner just past the midway point of the third period and also added an assist to give the Phoenix captain six goals and six helpers over a 12-game point streak as well as four straight multi-point games.

Scottie Upshall added his team-leading 11th goal and has three tallies and four assists over his last four games, while defenseman Keith Yandle's assist ran his point streak to five straight contests (1 goal, 7 assists).

"It was a strange game, but we'll take the points," said Phoenix coach Dave Tippett. "There was not a lot of excitement, but we got a lead, and that seemed to give us more energy."

Ilya Bryzgalov ended with 26 saves and is 5-4-2 with a 2.54 goals-against average in his career versus Colorado.

Forward Kyle Turris is questionable for this game due to an upper-body injury suffered versus Columbus.

Phoenix will play three of its next four on the road, but has dropped six of its last eight as the guest.

Colorado is also trying to get on a winning track after knocking off Buffalo, 4-3, in overtime on Tuesday to snap a four-game slide at home and win for the second time in seven games overall. David Jones had the game-winner on the power play with 43 seconds left in overtime after one-timing a Tomas Fleischmann feed past Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller.

"It's unbelievable. I've never scored [an overtime goal] in this league," Jones said. "I didn't really know what to do. I was just so excited. It's been a few games in a row that we've kind of squandered the lead, so it's great to get the two points here."

Backup netminder Peter Budaj halted 37 saves for his first victory since Nov. 27 and Daniel Winnik had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who played without Peter Stastny after he was a late scratch due to flu-like symptoms. Stastny is second in the club with 15 goals and 36 points and is questionable for tonight.

Matt Duchene leads Colorado with 16 goals and 40 points. He scored versus the Sabres to extend his point streak to five games (3g, 3a).

Colorado, which is 10 points behind first-place Vancouver in the Northwest Division, is now 1-1 on a five-game homestand and 11-7-2 as the host overall this season.

Craig Anderson is likely to get the call in net tonight for the Avs and is 2-3-0 with a 2.63 GAA lifetime when facing the Coyotes.

Though these two clubs split four meetings last year, Phoenix has won four of six and eight the last 12 matchups. However, the Coyotes lost both trips to the Pepsi Center and has just four victories and a tie in their last 17 trips to Colorado.