Hoping to jar his team out of a four-game losing skid, Colorado coach Joe Sacco is making a couple of regulars healthy scratches tonight when the Avs host Dallas.
Sacco called it “a case of just underachieving” when he announced that forwards David Jones and Jamie McGinn would sit out against the Stars.
With just three goals in 28 games, Jones’ struggles have been particularly noteworthy. The 28-year-old — who happens to be in the first year of a four-year, $16 million contract — hasn’t registered a point in his last nine games.
Sacco said the club has been patient with Jones, but with the Avs sitting dead last in the Western Conference and six points out of a playoff spot, there’s only so much patience a coach can have with just 20 games left to turn it around.
“It’s a message to the team, too,” said Sacco. “It’s not good enough. We’ve lost four games in a row and we need to be better. As a team, we can’t wait around for guys to get their game. Hopefully it won’t be long-term, but we’ll see. It’s a good chance for Mark Olver to get back in the lineup. Every game he’s played, he’s played gritty, he plays with energy. It’s a chance for a guy like Cody McLeod to move up a little bit and get a little more ice time. Even a guy like Chuck [Kobasew], their numbers aren’t too far off [those of Jones and McGinn]. Let’s shake it up and see what we get.”
