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Associated Press

The Phoenix Coyotes look to extend their longest point streak of the season on Saturday night when they try to complete their first season sweep of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Phoenix is 3-0-2 since losing back-to-back road games to St. Louis and Chicago on Dec. 6-7. The Coyotes (15-13-4) haven't earned at least a point in six consecutive games since an 8-0-1 run from Dec. 23, 2006-Jan. 9, 2007.

Plus, they're 4-0-1 at home this month.

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Even though it's just December, this game ends the season series between these Western Conference foes. The teams have played four times in every season since Columbus joined the league in 2000-01, but neither one has ever pulled off a sweep.

The Blue Jackets lost 3-1 in Phoenix on Oct. 11 before the Coyotes won twice in Columbus last month. Shane Doan and Martin Hanzal lead Phoenix with four points apiece in the season series as Columbus has been outscored 11-5.

Phoenix is coming off a 2-1 victory over Nashville on Thursday night as Kyle Turris notched his first career two-goal game. The 19-year-old center scored off a pass from Ed Jovanovski in the first period and recorded the game-winner with 9:58 remaining.

"I feel the best I've felt all year," said Turris, who had an assist in each of the Coyotes' three victories over Columbus this season. "I feel great, I have my legs under me and I'm feeling very confident."

Having center Joakim Lindstrom as a mentor has helped the rookie.

Lindstrom, who had three goals and four assists in 25 games for Columbus in 2007-08, has two goals and an assist in five games for Phoenix since being acquired from Anaheim on Dec. 3.

"Lindstrom and (Turris) seem to feed off each other," Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky said. "They play a similar style, move the puck to the open man, go to open areas to get pucks back. It's a nice combination right now and they're doing a nice job for us."

So is goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. After going 1-6-1 with a 3.89 goals-against average from Nov. 13-Dec. 7, Bryzgalov has a 2.14 GAA during Phoenix's last five games.

Bryzgalov is 2-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA in two starts against the Blue Jackets this season.

Columbus is trying to snap a six-game road skid, dating to 2-0 win over Atlanta on Nov. 22.

The Blue Jackets (14-14-4) enter Saturday following a 6-5 shootout loss to Dallas on Thursday night - a game it thought it had won just 13 seconds into overtime.

A goal by Manny Malhotra was waved off by officials following a video review.

"We won the hockey game," Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. "It was a good goal. They can put up whatever score they want. That player did not try to kick it in. It was a great victory."

Columbus did have a great victory, but that was its 2-1 overtime win over the Pacific Division-leading San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night.

"We played the best team in the league and came back and won in overtime and almost came back and did the same thing tonight," said Kristian Huselius, who scored his 10th goal of the season in the loss to Dallas but hit the right post in the shootout.

R.J. Umberger, who scored the winner versus the Sharks, had a goal and two assists against the Stars, while Rick Nash scored twice and added an assist.

Nash leads the Blue Jackets with 29 points, but has only one in three games versus Phoenix this season.

With Jason Chimera and Derick Brassard nursing injuries, Columbus called up Mike York from Syracuse of the AHL on Friday. The left wing had six goals and eight assists in 63 games with Phoenix last season.




SCHEDULE

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AWAY
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STANDINGS

WESTERN CONFERENCE
  TEAM GP W L OT GF GA PTS
1 p - CHI 48 36 7 5 155 102 77
2 y - ANA 48 30 12 6 140 118 66
3 y - VAN 48 26 15 7 127 121 59
4 x - STL 48 29 17 2 129 115 60
5 x - LAK 48 27 16 5 133 118 59
6 x - SJS 48 25 16 7 124 116 57
7 x - DET 48 24 16 8 124 115 56
8 x - MIN 48 26 19 3 122 127 55
9 CBJ 48 24 17 7 120 119 55
10 PHX 48 21 18 9 125 131 51
11 DAL 48 22 22 4 130 142 48
12 EDM 48 19 22 7 125 134 45
13 CGY 48 19 25 4 128 160 42
14 NSH 48 16 23 9 111 139 41
15 COL 48 16 25 7 116 152 39

STATS

2012-2013 REGULAR SEASON
SKATERS: GP G A +/- Pts
V. Prospal 48 12 18 3 30
M. Letestu 46 13 14 7 27
M. Gaborik 47 12 15 -3 27
F. Tyutin 48 4 18 9 22
B. Dubinsky 29 2 18 2 20
N. Foligno 45 6 13 6 19
J. Johnson 44 5 14 -5 19
A. Anisimov 35 11 7 -6 18
C. Atkinson 35 9 9 9 18
R. Umberger 48 8 10 3 18
 
GOALIES: W L OT Sv% GAA
S. Bobrovsky 21 11 6 .932 2.00
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