That sounds a little bit like a coach excuse for a "3rd liner": you have same touches during practices so if you sit during the game it's fine.
But the game is a test and some skills and hockey IQ can develop only during competitive games. Ultimately - it's about a game. Otherwise - we can stop playing any games and just concentrate on practices.
Don't agree that hockey IQ can only develop during games but, yes, competitive instincts, full checking at Bantam and beyond, and hockey IQ develop best in games.
I'm not a coach and my son has had coaches who have cut back on his ice time for seemingly no rational reason. Still, in retrospect it is part of the process and as a coach in another sport, I also had biases and didn't play some players who might have deserved more time on the pitch.
My sense remains that games are for parental entertainment. It kind of justifies the high costs of the sport. The angst about an extra A or flighting etc. seems excessive. As our son's youth hockey career winds down, perspective may change.