Sometimes players just need to play through it.
You sit guys when they are not listening to the coach and doing their own thing, or when they are not putting in good efforts. I don't think anyone on the Flames have done that. Seems to be more of a confidence issue (at least 5v5 play), or even timing (though at this point in the season, that is a seriously tough argument to make). At any rate, sitting a player(s) who just seem to be having some confidence (or timing..) issues would just put more pressure on them, not less, and make things snowball.
Gulutzan has to just manage their ice time and line mates, and hopefully do better at line matching and finding a way to get more favorable matchups, and just find a way to help them get going again. Sitting them is just going to do more harm than good. Gulutzan trying to go 'power vs power' at the start of the season was the wrong move in light of Gaudreau's and Monahan's slow start and 'issues'. That probably made them lose a bit of confidence right there, though I may be wrong in that logic.
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