Monahan: 'Ridiculous' to suggest firing Gulutzan

Patient Sean Monahan.

The top center on the sputtering Calgary Flames did his best campaigning for Glen Gulutzan, disagreeing with fans and media types who believe the coach should be fired after taking just five wins from his first 16 games at the helm.

"For people to say that is pretty ridiculous," Monahan told Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun.

"It's a process and sometimes things aren't going the way you want them to. I think it's just a matter of the full 20 guys buying in. We've got a lot of skill and you look at our team on paper we're a good team. Right now we're not showing it on the ice."

As much as the Flames talk about being a tough, heavy, puck-possession team that can hold up against mighty Western Conference rivals, their best talents have skills that contrast that vision. Monahan, along with fellow handsomely paid top-liner Johnny Gaudreau and talented defenders Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie, have struggled to maintain their standards under Gulutzan.

This adjustment has taken the sting out of their attack, but the Flames own the NHL's worst goal differential through the first five-plus weeks of the year because they're conceding more goals than any other team.

Part of that's on Gulutzan, but with the Flames allowing a respectable 28.8 shots per game, the goaltending must wear it, too.