Calgary Flames' Johnny Gaudreau, centre, celebrates his third goal with teammates Jiri Hudler, right, and Sean Monahan during third period NHL hockey action against the Winnipeg Jets in Calgary, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015. Calgary Flames coach Bob Hartley sent a strong message to three of his key players Tuesday night that team rules apply to everyone.All-star Gaudreau, first-line centre Sean Monahan and rugged winger Lance Bouma were all healthy scratches for disciplinary reasons in Calgary's 4-3 win over Toronto. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

CALGARY - Calgary Flames coach Bob Hartley sent a strong message to three of his key players Tuesday night that team rules apply to everyone.

All-star Johnny Gaudreau, first-line centre Sean Monahan and rugged winger Lance Bouma were all healthy scratches for disciplinary reasons in Calgary's 4-3 win over Toronto,

"They didn't rob a bank. They made a mistake and tonight they paid for it and it's the last time we address it," said Hartley.

"It's nothing bad on them. Who didn't make mistakes when they were young? Everyone. We support those kids, we need them and they learn a very valuable lesson tonight."

In their previous game, the Flames won 4-1 on Saturday night in Vancouver. The team then had Super Bowl Sunday off.

Hartley would not confirm which team rule was broken but all three were spotted late arriving to the arena for morning practice.

"All three of those guys are character guys, just one mistake and they're going to learn from it. They're all young guys and I don't expect to see any of those three make that mistake again," said Joe Colborne.

Flames captain Mark Giordano also addressed the benchings.

"There's rules. But again, you look at those three guys and as far as teammates is one thing, but as people you can't find better guys. It's a tough situation. They know they made a mistake. They've owned up to it. As a group I think we're going to be better in the long run for it."

The punishment came at a tricky time for Calgary, which is desperate for wins as the club tries to get back into a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"It was tough because you can't get three better young men. They're proud of representing this community. They're easy to coach and everything but when you make a mistake, we have to be accountable and we have to be fair to everyone," said Hartley.

Gaudreau, 22, and Monahan, 21, rank first and second in scoring on the team. Gaudreau has 49 points (21 goals, 28 assists) and Monahan has 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists). The 25-year-old Bouma has one goal in 17 games after scoring a career-high 16 goals last season.

"We have a tight-knit crew in here and we really wanted to come out and have a great effort for those guys. They've stepped up so many times. Whether it's Johnny and (Monahan) getting some clutch goals or whether it's (Bouma) throws his body in front of some of the hardest slapshots in the league," said Colborne.

Both Gaudreau and Monahan are in the final year of their entry-level contracts and are looking at significant raises this summer.

Calgary is next in action Thursday night when they're in San Jose. They play the next night in Arizona. It is the team's annual fathers trip. Most of the dads are already in Calgary as they will fly out with the team Wednesday after practice at the Saddledome.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2016