Avalanche rookie Jaroslav Hlinka, who began the season on the first line amid fanfare about his play, will be a healthy scratch against the Calgary Flames tonight at the Pepsi Center.
Hlinka’s demotion comes after his ice time had been steadily decreasing. He played just 6 minutes, 30 seconds in Saturday’s loss to Vancouver.
Scott Parker will take Hlinka’s spot in the Avs lineup. The heavyweight enforcer played a big role in Colorado’s victory over Calgary at home last month. His second-period fight against Calgary’s Eric Godard was cited by teammates as a catalyst in their come-from-behind, 5-4 victory.
Avs coach Joel Quenneville said the Parker insertion for Hlinka is his team’s only likely lineup change for tonight. Defenseman Jeff Jillson will take part in warmups, Quenneville said, but added that he probably wouldn’t change his defensive pairings from the last game.
