How Brandon Manning got a big role with Flyers

PHILADELPHIA — Brandon Manning’s got to admit, even he is surprised at how much he’s played this season.

The Flyers went out of their way to make sure he got on the roster, albeit it sure looked like he was going to be the seventh defenseman and probably not get a ton of action.

“I think playing this many games has exceeded my expectations thus far,” said Manning, who has played in 22 of the Flyers’ 28 games. “I know there’s gonna be times where I’m gonna be the odd man out. It’s been one day at a time for myself.”

After playing most of the last four seasons with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate Phantoms, it looks like Manning has carved out a niche for himself on a pair with Shayne Gostisbehere.

Coach Dave Hakstol is hesitant to break them up. Unlike the other pairs, in which the Flyers have a puck-moving blueliner with a more stay-at-home defenseman, this duo of two mobile guys works. It’s how the future of the NHL will look.

“I think we just read off each other,” Gostisbehere said. “If I go over to the left side, he’s coming to the right side. We build each other up after every shift. It’s a good partnership right now. I just want to keep it going. We’re working really well together right now.”

Gostisbehere doesn’t have much of an on-ice history with anyone because he’s played only 12 games this season and missed all but five professional games last season thanks to an ACL tear. He did spend a lot of time in Allentown, Pa. though, around the Lehigh Valley Phantoms where Manning was for the majority of the year.

“We got a little sample size last year. That was a year ago,” Gostisbehere said. “There’s a little comfortablility level with him. He’s definitely a good player in this league. He’s making it easier for me and hopefully I’m making it easier for him.”

Of all the players on the Flyers’ roster, Hakstol had probably the least amount of film (outside of Gostisbehere, who played only two NHL games) on Manning to look at when he took the job over the summer.

“I hadn’t seen Brandon play so I expected a rugged, two-way competitor,” Hakstol said. “I think, especially of late, that’s what we’re seeing over the last couple of weeks. He’s been pretty reliable that he’s going to be a hard guy to play against. The combination of him and Shayne has been good. He’s been a good leader, a good veteran for him to be paired with. Those are positives.”

There was a period of time where things weren’t going so great for Manning and it was looking like he’d be going back to the extra-defenseman role. Against the Dallas Stars he was a minus-2 with a couple of quirky plays in which the puck bounced over his stick and it led to goals for the Stars.

Manning was a healthy scratch the next game and it looked like it might go on longer. Why not? Nothing else has come easy to him in his career. Next time he figured in, he played well and has played pretty consistently since then.

“Never drafted, never been the guy to get the first opportunity,” said Manning, who signed a two-way contract with the Flyers as a free agent in 2011. “I’m happy to be here now at 25 and be earning that respect around the league and that role in this dressing room.”

While he may not be eating up gigantic minutes — Manning averages 16:32 this season to team-leading Michael Del Zotto’s 23:57 — his role is significant. He’s the one that the Flyers want skating alongside Gostisbehere, who has been somewhat of an offensive savior and is certainly the future of the Flyers’ defense corps. With more games, the 22-year-old Gostisbehere is feeling like he’s a regular NHLer.

“You get a little more comfortable,” Gostisbehere said. “It gets a little dangerous sometimes. You teeter on the edge. You can’t get too comfortable with things out there. You try to make too much fancy plays when the simple play is the right play. You’ve just got to remember your roots, stay strong and keep it simple.

“Most importantly just go out there and have fun. I’m playing in the National Hockey League. It’s a dream job.”

Same goes for Manning, who is trying to keep Gostisbehere rooted on the ice and, as another mobile defenseman, has the legs to keep up or backcheck hard if there’s a mistake made on the ice.

“You look around now and there’s not too many guys now that are 6-5 and can’t really skate,” Manning said. “You have to be mobile now and jump in the rush and be part of the play. Hak made that evident in training camp that he wanted his D-men involved. That’s a part of my game that I think helped make the team for me this year.”

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