By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Senior Writer
After ending a discouraging skid at home, the Colorado Avalanche must now set their sights on one of the hottest players in the NHL.
The Avalanche hope to slow down Shane Doan when they host the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday night.
Colorado (21-14-5) ended an 0-3-1 slide at home with a 4-3 overtime victory over Buffalo on Tuesday. David Jones scored the winner on the power play.
The Avalanche had been frustrated in one-goal losses in their previous two home games against Vancouver and Detroit.
"We wanted to come out of that home slump, so like I said earlier, I think we've played some really good hockey at home," said Matt Duchene, who extend his career-high point streak to five games with his 16th goal. "If you look at the last two games where we've had Vancouver and Detroit, I think those were games we could have won."
Colorado should have its hands full with Doan, who has six goals and six assists during a seven-game point streak. The Phoenix captain is among the league leaders since Dec. 5 with 19 points in his past 14 games, and 24 in his last 19 contests.
"The thing about players like that is they just don't do it for a couple of days," coach Dave Tippett said. "Doaner's been doing it for a month and a half now. That's the sign of where he is."
Doan's surge has helped the Coyotes (18-13-8) score 18 times during a 2-1-1 stretch after they had four goals during a 1-3-0 run in the four games previous. He had a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 4-2 home win over Columbus.
"Guys are finding a way to score," Doan said. "When that happens, it carries over to everyone."
Phoenix is 2-4-2 in its last eight on the road. The Coyotes, who have one of the league's worst penalty kills at 78.0 percent, are at 69.4 percent over those eight games.
Jones' game-winner Tuesday for Colorado, meanwhile, ended the Avalanche's 0-for-14 drought on the power play.
"Nice to get the monkey off our back," Jones said.
Daniel Winnik had a goal and an assist Tuesday heading into his first game against his former team. Winnik amassed 52 points over the previous three seasons with the Coyotes before he was traded to Colorado in the offseason.
Former Avalanche winger Wojtek Wolski will play in Denver for the first time as a visitor. Wolski was traded to Phoenix on March 3, and had two goals and two assists against Colorado at home last season.
These teams split four meetings last season, with the home team winning each time.
The Coyotes may not have a good option in goal Thursday. Ilya Bryzgalov is 1-3-1 with a 3.21 goals-against average in five starts in Denver while Jason LaBarbera is 1-5-0 with a 3.91 GAA in six career starts against the Avalanche.
Peter Budaj is 6-3-3 with a 2.63 GAA in 12 starts against the Coyotes while Craig Anderson is 2-3-0 with a 2.63 GAA in five matchups.
