COLUMBUS, Ohio - After serving a two-game suspension for an illegal hit, Flyers winger Chris VandeVelde remained sidelined Tuesday against Columbus.
Part of a strong fourth line and penalty-killing unit, VandeVelde was a healthy scratch for the first time this season.
Coach Dave Hakstol waited until after pregame warm-ups before deciding if VandeVelde would return to the lineup.
Because several players were playing well, "we have tough decisions up and down the lineup, particularly in that spot," Hakstol said. "But it's a positive for our team that we do have to make a tough decision."
With VandeVelde out of the lineup, the Flyers split a pair of 4-1 decisions, losing to Pittsburgh on Saturday and then rebounding to defeat the New York Islanders on Monday.