COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – The Columbus Blue Jackets were without their leading scorer but it wasn't as if anyone would have noticed.

Geoff Sanderson, Columbus' top offensive threat with 27 goals and 51 points, was scratched with a broken finger. The low-scoring Blue Jackets still had no shortage of point producers.

"We were a little concerned about where the offense would come from, but a number of players got involved and we played a strong game," Columbus coach Dave King said.

Steve Heinze, David Vyborny, Serge Aubin, Deron Quint and Mattias Timander scored for the Blue Jackets, who won their second straight after going winless in seven games.

"A bunch of guys stepped up and played really well tonight," Heinze said.

Robert Kron had three assists, Heinze also had an assist and Espen Knutsen tied a franchise record by running his points streak to six games in a row.

Denis stopped 25 shots – including Jeremy Roenick's second-period penalty shot – to improve to 6-6 at Nationwide Arena. He is 0-10-3 on the road.

"Everything went very well. That's why you play hockey – you want nights like these," Denis said. "To win the season series, a first-year team vs. a playoff team, I guess you have to be pretty glad about that."

The game was played before a sellout crowd of 18,136 just four miles from Crew Stadium, where the United States beat Mexico in a World Cup qualifier played at the same time.

After going 20 games without scoring as many as four goals in a game, the Blue Jackets did it for the second game in a row. They ended a seven-game winless streak with Sunday's 5-2 victory at Anaheim.

It was Columbus' biggest offensive output at home since Jan. 3, when the Blue Jackets earned a 5-3 victory over Edmonton.

Phoenix, capping a four-game road trip, has surrendered 18 goals in a three-game losing skid.

"Denis came up with some big saves when he needed them," said Roenick, who scored one goal and assisted on Shane Doan's late goal. "We have to get better as a team and keep moving along."

Sean Burke, expected to sign a $9-million contract on Thursday, was victimized for four of the Columbus goals. Timander scored on an empty-netter, his first goal in 149 games dating back more than three seasons.

Holding a 2-1 lead supplied by Vyborny's goal late in the second period, the Blue Jackets added a pair of goals within a 2-minute span midway through the final period.

After Kron circled the net and was stopped by Burke on a blast from point-blank range, Aubin slapped in the rebound for his 13th goal.

"I really think everybody is pulling together as a team," Aubin said. "The confidence is up right now."

Quint then fought off defender Juha Ylonen and beat Burke with 10:43 remaining to make it 4-1.

Heinze, tied for fifth in the NHL in power-play goals with 13, tallied his 20th goal just 2:45 into the first period with Columbus holding a two-man advantage.

Vyborny, without a goal in his last 14 games, scored on a wraparound in heavy traffic 1:44 into the second period. After Vyborny's shot found the net, Burke leaped in anger and protested that a Blue Jacket was in the crease.

On the penalty shot, Roenick sped between the circles and then broke to the right of the goal. Denis came out and fell on the puck before Roenick could get off a shot.

"Obviously, you don't want to start thinking too much," Denis said. "You get on the wrong side of it, it's certainly nerve-racking. When I got him pretty far out on his forehand, that's when I had to jump."

Game notes
Columbus won the season series 2-1-1-1. ... Phoenix is 3-4 since a group led by Wayne Gretzky and Steve Ellman took control of the team. ... The Blue Jackets recalled C Chris Nielsen from Syracuse (AHL). ... Knutsen is 3-5-8 over his points streak.

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