ST. PAUL, Minn. - After missing five games with a shoulder injury, defenseman Brandon Manning returned to the Flyers lineup Thursday in Minnesota.
Manning was paired with Radko Gudas because coach Dave Hakstol said he wanted a physical duo to counteract the Wild's bruising game in front of the net.
"We're playing a heavy team," Hakstol said before the game. "They've got some size up front and they're a heavy team down low. We'll need that pair to play that way and be an abrasive pair. They have to be on the heavy side, defensively."
Manning was injured March 11 in a 2-1 loss in Boston.