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Shane Doan breaks Arizona Coyotes' points record in win

By Craig Morgan, The Sports Xchange

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- When Shane Doan was asked this week about his impending record for most points in franchise history, the Arizona Coyotes captain was predictably low-key.

"You'd think that after 20 years I'd already be there," he quipped.

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Doan can stop worrying about the advance of Father Time. His record-breaking point didn't come in epic fashion. It came on an anticlimactic, assist that was awarded after the fact, but with two goals sandwiched around it, the 39-year-old veteran was emphatic enough in passing Dale Hawerchuk to become the franchise leader in points at 931.

"I told him it was only 103 years it took him to do it," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "What he's done for this organization is phenomenal."

What Doan did Friday was just as important. He led the Coyotes to a much-needed 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Friday at Gila River Arena after Tippett had called out the team's leaders to do just that.

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"Tip kind of gave it to us a little bit," Doan said. "Our young guys have been great for us all year but our leaders have to step up, especially at this time of year. That's our job."

The win snapped a four-game losing streak (0-4-1) for the Coyotes and pulled them within three points of Nashville for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. It also snapped Calgary's three-game winning streak.

Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and right winger Anthony Duclair also scored for Arizona, which got 26 saves from Louis Domingue. Right winger Joe Colborne scored for Calgary, which got 31 saves from Jonas Hiller.

"We pride ourselves on being a disciplined team and the last couple games we've gotten away from that," said Flames center Josh Jooris, whose club gave Arizona seven power plays and three power-play goals. "We're better when we're five on five and keeping a flow to the game."

Doan opened the scoring with a milestone goal in a season chock full of them for the Coyotes captain.

He took a feed from defenseman Kevin Connauton and pulled up at the left circle. Using Flames defenseman Kris Russell and Coyotes center Tyler Gaudet as a screen, Doan slid the puck between goalie Hiller's pads for a 1-0 lead at 3:31 of the first period to pull into a tie with Hawerchuk in points.

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The goal was also Doan's team-leading 20th of the season, giving him 13 seasons of 20 or more goals. Only Jaromir Jagr (18), Jarome Iginla (16) and Marian Hossa (14) have more among active players. Doan is even with Vincent Lecavalier.

"That first goal really put us on our heels and we just couldn't gain their blue line," Flames coach Bob Hartley said. "We turned the puck over quite a few times and we just lost momentum."

Ekman-Larsson widened the lead to 2-0 on a four-on-three power play. Three Coyotes converged on the faceoff to make sure the puck drew back to Ekman-Larsson at the point before his slap shot beat Hiller low to the stick side at 6:51 of the second period for his 16th goal of the season.

Doan's record-breaking assist came on that goal, but it wasn't awarded until a full period had passed.

"I was sitting on the bench," Doan said. "It is what it is. It's still something that obviously as a player you're pretty excited about. I thought I got it but it wasn't a big deal."

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Ekman-Larsson is second among NHL defensemen in goals, two behind San Jose's Brent Burns.

Duclair made it 3-0 just 1:53 later when he collected his own rebound and banged the puck past Hiller out of midair from the deep slot on another power play. Duclair is tied for fifth among NHL rookies with 15 goals.

Colborne scored from the deep slot at 10:43 of the third period, but Doan restored the three-goal lead with his 21st goal of the season off a feed from Ekman-Larsson at 17:32 on a power play. The goal also gave Doan the franchise record for career power-plays goals at 123.

NOTES: Flames G Karri Ramo suffered a knee injury in Thursday's game in San Jose in a collision with Sharks LW Joonas Donskoi. Calgary placed Ramo on injured reserve Friday and recalled G Joni Ortio from Adirondack of the AHL to back up G Jonas Hiller. There is no timeline for Ramo's return. ... Flames GM Brad Treliving said Friday that he still has no timeline on a ruling for D Dennis Wideman, who cross-checked a linesman on Jan. 27. Wideman appealed his 20-game suspension and met with league officials on Wednesday. ... Coyotes G Mike Smith practiced with the team on Thursday; the first time he has done so since undergoing lower abdomen surgery in mid-December. Coach Dave Tippett stressed that Smith is still a long way from playing. This is just part of the rehab process. GM Don Maloney said last week he would be surprised if Smith plays any games in February.

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