Brayden Schenn joins the Flyers' top line

THROUGHOUT HIS first season as an NHL coach, Dave Hakstol has said injuries are part of the game and directly reflect part of his job in making line combinations and defensive pairings.

He said recently he expects to deal with injuries in some capacity all season. And the last couple of days of injury news for the Flyers seem to make that a likely occurrence.

Taking all that into consideration, it was still a bit of a surprise to see Brayden Schenn skating with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek in practice Monday. That's not to say Schenn doesn't belong there; he's played with the two Flyers top liners before. His career high in points (47) last season could in fact be attributed to the 30 or so games he played with the two. But after being a healthy scratch for the first time in his Flyers tenure Saturday night, the timing was at least a little odd.

"It's hard to figure out sometimes," Schenn said. "I didn't talk to (Hakstol). I don't know what the rhyme or reason is, but, at the same time, I'll be ready for my opportunity, my chance, (Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings)."

Schenn's name joins a list of players who have been benched this season that includes the likes of his brother, Luke, R.J. Umberger, Vincent Lecavalier and Sam Gagner, who all make a good chunk of money and have played a lot of games in the NHL.

"Obviously, just sending the message, you've got to be ready to go every night," Schenn said. "You don't want to play the game thinking, 'Oh, if I make a mistake, I'm going to be out.' That's not how to play hockey. The game is full of mistakes. They're going to happen. At the same time, you just want to be confident."

Perhaps being on the top line will help his confidence. Schenn is tied with Giroux for the team lead in goals, with five. For a team that doesn't score a whole lot, that stat carries only so much weight.

Schenn takes the place of Michael Raffl on the first line. With fourth-line right wing Ryan White out for the next two to four weeks with an upper-body injury, Hakstol moved Raffl, who has only one goal after scoring 21 last season, to the fourth line.

"We want the personality of that group to stay the same," Hakstol said.

That certainly won't be much of an issue. Raffl is capable of playing a two-way checking role similar to White's. And in terms of the line's "personality," Raffl's locker stall at the Flyers' practice facility in Voorhees, N.J., is in a corner with Chris VandeVelde and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, his new linemates for the time being.

"It is what it is," Raffl said, before expressing excitement to play with his stallmates.

The only Flyers line that remained the same in practice Monday from Saturday's 3-2 overtime win over Carolinia was the second line of Sean Couturier centering Matt Read and Wayne Simmonds.

Scott Laughton centered the third line, with Gagner and Taylor Leier, who made his NHL debut Saturday night.

But the ones who got the most attention and raised the most flags were the first-liners wearing green jerseys. Because one of them sat in the press box Saturday night, while another one (Voracek) finally scored his first goal of the season.

"We all know we gotta be better around here," Schenn said. "When you lose eight of nine, obviously no one is happy. Yeah, I could be better. We all could be better. It throws a little fire in your belly, and I'll be ready to go."

Flyers goalie Steve Mason did not practice Monday. The Flyers are calling it a "maintenance day." When asked whether Michal Neuvirth would start Tuesday against Los Angeles, coach Dave Hakstol said he'd decide Tuesday morning . . . It appears forward Vincent Lecavalier will be a healthy scratch Tuesday . . . The defensive pairings looked the same from Saturday night, meaning Evgeny Medvedev is likely to be scratched . . . Fans entering Wells Fargo Center for Tuesday night's game, and for any other event at the venue, should expect heightened security measures after the recent terrorism attacks in Paris, Comcast Spectacor announced Sunday . . . The Kings (11-6) come to Wells Fargo Center as the top team in the Pacific Division, and have gone 11-3 after an 0-3 start.