Dave Isaac

@davegisaac

PHILADELPHIA — Most players get on and off the rink with a scowl on their faces when they know they’re going to be a healthy scratch.

Brandon Manning isn’t one of them because, to an extent, he feels like he’s playing with house money.

The defenseman has been beating the odds for several years now. He was never drafted, going unselected through the 2008 and 2009 drafts. He was still playing in juniors as an overage 20 year old.

Yet he’s still here in the NHL.

“I’ve got friends and ex-teammates who are in worse situations than me,” Manning said. “I get to play in the NHL every day and come to the rink and be in this atmosphere. I try to take those positives and think about other things in other people’s lives and just try and keep a positive mindset so when it is game time I’m ready to go.”

Monday it was game time and, for the first time in five games, he was in the lineup. Prior to Monday’s tilt against the Boston Bruins he was a healthy scratch in 10 of the Flyers’ last 13 games. He figured he’d be the seventh defenseman when the year started, but there was a stretch from November through mid-December where he played in 19 of 22 games for the Flyers.

“It’s not an easy thing to be out for a couple of games and then jump back in, especially the level of the games that are played at this time of year,” Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said, “but Brandon’s always done a pretty good job of that because of his level of preparation when he is out.”

That preparation level is always the same because Manning rarely knows what to expect.

In his first draft year, Manning spent most of his season in Junior A in the British Columbia Hockey League even before he got to the Western Hockey League’s Chilliwack Bruins.

He wasn’t drafted in the WHL either. He joined the Bruins on a tryout. He stayed for four years. When the Flyers signed him as an undrafted free agent he was in his second year as captain of the team. So he figured by the time he got to the NHL, if he even did get there, he’d have to deal with being a healthy scratch sometimes.

That had been the cast for a while, but Manning has made the transition effectively going back into the lineup on a pair with Shayne Gostisbehere.

“When you’re playing that many minutes and you feel good out there it’s definitely tough to come out of the lineup but I’m still trying to learn, trying to get better,” said Manning, who played the majority of his games the last four years in the American Hockey League with 21 games in the NHL sprinkled in over three seasons. “Hopefully every game I can get there and prove that I can be a top-six (defenseman) in this league.”

He was Monday, coming in for Evgeny Medvedev who had been a healthy scratch only once in the previous 23 games. The Russian, in his first year in the NHL, had struggled with physical play lately and that’s something Boston brings and so does Manning.

“Brandon can go in and be a consistent penalty killer for us. He’s a little different player than what Evgeny is,” Hakstol said. “It’s not necessarily the things that Meddy doesn’t do. It’s the fact that Brandon’s a little bit different of a kind of player.”

Weal makes debut

Jordan Weal “earned an opportunity,” Hakstol said and made his Flyers debut Monday. He started his Flyers career with seven healthy scratches. He admitted that he had to temper his game and not try to do too much and prove he belongs in the lineup.

“Yeah, I think that’s what I learned early with the Kings this year, going out there and trying to do too much,” Weal said. “That’s not really my game, running around like crazy just going kamikaze. My game is smart and controlling the play, controlling the puck. If I can do that I’ll be playing well.”

Weal played right wing on a line with Scott Laughton and R.J. Umberger.

You Can Play

Monday’s game was also a “You Can Play Night” for the Flyers. They partnered with the You Can Play project, which was created to ensure equality, respect and safety for all athletes without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity.

It was co-founded by NHL director of player safety Patrick Burke, who served as a scout for the Flyers for the 2012-13 season.

Loose Pucks

Sean Couturier missed his second straight game with what the team is calling a “lower-body injury” and is considered “day-to-day.” ... Sam Gagner sat as a healthy scratch. … Goalie Steve Mason had a “maintenance morning” but backed up for the game. Arena concessions manager Justin Musciano took the morning skate in his place.

Dave Isaac; (856) 486-2479;disaac@gannettnj.com.