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Flyers' Andrew MacDonald benched; Michal Neuvirth getting another start

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Brandon Manning got promoted to the top defensive pairing and Andrew MacDonald was a healthy scratch for the first time in three months when the Flyers played in Vancouver on Sunday night.

Manning was paired with rookie Ivan Provorov.

"Everybody's here for a reason. Everybody can play," Provorov said before the game. "It's just we gave up six goals the last time as a team, so we needed to change something. Hopefully, this change will help us."

The Flyers were coming off Thursday's 6-3 loss in Edmonton, a game in which Manning was targeted by the Oilers because of his feud with superstar Connor McDavid.

Manning and Radko Gudas formed the Flyers' best pairing that night.

MacDonald, who has been paired with Provorov since Dec. 3, has 13 points and a minus-7 rating, which is second among the team's regular defensemen.

"It's an opportunity for a rest for Mac," coach Dave Hakstol said Sunday after the morning skate. "He's played a huge part in everything we've done and will continue to do so as we go forward. He's played a lot of minutes."

MacDonald, who was last scratched on Nov. 19, is second on the team with 105 blocked shots, behind Provorov's 120 entering Sunday.

The other pairings Sunday: Michael Del Zotto and Gudas, and Mark Streit and Shayne Gostisbehere. Del Zotto returned to the lineup Thursday after missing 10 games because of a leg injury, but he played only 13 minutes, 3 seconds as part of the Flyers' seven-man defense.

The Flyers went back six D-men Sunday, and Hakstol said he wanted to give Del Zotto more playing time.

Manning moved from the left side to the right for the first time in about a month. "It's something I've done this year and last year, and once you get a feel for it, it becomes more natural every shift," he said of playing on the right.

Deadline sellers?

Has the Flyers' slump — they had lost six of their last eight entering Sunday — made general manager Ron Hextall more inclined to be a seller before the March 1 trade deadline?

"We'll wait and see," he said before the game, adding that he thinks the Flyers can still get into the playoffs. "We'll see where we're at and analyze everything."

His tone, however, suggested he will be in sell mode.

Brennan shines

T.J. Brennan, a Moorestown native, passed recently inducted AHL Hall of Famer Bryan Helmer for second on the league's all-time career goals list for a defenseman during the Phantoms' 7-4 win Sunday over Utica. Brennan, who completed his hat trick with an empty-net score, has 17 goals this season and 130 in his career.

Breakaways

Despite struggling against Edmonton, Michal Neuvith made his seventh start in the last eight games. He started all three games on the Western Canada trip, and he has drawn some trade interest. … The Flyers planned to use Provorov on the first power-play unit, with Jake Voracek going to the second unit. … Hextall said the Flyers won't know the severity of Jordan Weal's upper-body injury until he is examined Monday in Philadelphia. He said Travis Konecny (left leg injury) was progressing nicely. … Matt Read played in his 400th NHL game Sunday. … Former Flyers defenseman Luca Sbisa entered the night leading the Canucks with a plus-7 rating.