Hobbling defense gets minor twist

VOORHEES, N.J. » Another day, another call for minor league help.

The Flyers, young defensively when training camp broke, have actually gotten older on the blue line the past few days. That’s only because they’ve called up two career minor league defensemen to try to get them through an upcoming road trip.

With Mark Alt already having played Monday night in an embarrassing 4-3 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes, the Flyers Tuesday recalled Will O’Neill, a 29-year-old veteran of six AHL seasons. He’ll likely serve as a seventh defenseman Wednesday night when the Flyers visit the Blackhawks in Chicago.

Even if he does Chicagotown and a Thursday visit to St. Louis only in a suit, it’s a pretty heady trip for him.

“It’s been a long time coming for me,” said O’Neill, a Salem, Mass. native and product of the University of Maine. I’m excited and looking forward to it. Over time you figure out more and more how to play. It’s been a while that I’ve felt super confident in my game and that’s the way it keeps going.”

At 29, he’s going as the oldest defensman in the Flyers’ traveling party.

With O’Neill and one-time

highly regarded prospect Alt — called up Monday to play just his second NHL game at 26 — it’s clear what a pained position the Flyers are in defensively.

Already lacking depth, they saw their most experienced defender Andrew MacDonald go down a little over a week ago. He’s likely to be out close to another month.

Then Shayne Gostisbehere went face-first into the boards, and no matter how secretive the keepers of his condition can be, he won’t see the ice again until at least this weekend.

On the minors end, meanwhile, top Phantoms defender T.J. Brennan has been out hurt as has highly regarded prospect Phil Myers, though he just made his return off the injured list.

So the Gostisbehere injury was finally paving the way for big Sam Morin to suit up for the Flyers ... an overdue call-up, that. As it happened, however, he had been playing hurt and hadn’t told anyone.

Ah, those secretive medical guys have a way of spilling the beans when Ron Hextall is interrogating them.

“Our intention was to recall him, but after further evidence we, we uh ... Sam’s a tough guy and he didn’t disclose 100 percent of his injury,” Inspector Hextall said. “(That’s) because he plays through things. And he’s got a little nick there that’s going to keep him out for a bit. Not days. More, maybe a couple of weeks.”

A “little nick.” Couple of weeks.

So who else plays defense down there?

“I’m excited and I’m looking forward to a great opportunity,” O’Neill said. “I’ll be able to show what type of player I am.” In practice, maybe. O’Neill, however, does bring ability (he had four assists in a game last December against Providence) and experience. Even if it is of the minor sort.

“Solid, two-way player,” Hextall said of O’Neill. “T.J. is hurt down there, so Will has picked up some of his minutes and he’s done a good job.”

Ironically, former Flyer and ousted Canadiens defensive leader Mark Streit had been working out at the Flyers’ Skate Zone facility recently. But Streit finally packed up his things, called it a career Monday and went home to Switzerland, according to reports.

No biggie, since there is Ivan Provorov, literally half Streit’s age but capable of playing the minutes of two men.

In the loss to the Coyotes, Provorov logged more than 28 minutes on the ice. And essentially took the game over late. He was a big force who forged a Flyer comeback and at least got the game into overtime.

Prior to Gostisbehere’s injury, he had paired with him for what appeared to be a very formidable top Flyers pair. Now he’s making up for his loss.

“It sucks that Ghost is out,” Provorov said of Gostisbehere. “I just go out there and try to make plays.”

Provorov being the top power play quarterback in Ghost’s absence has only increased the rate of the Flyers’ dependence on him. At 20, he’s not only their best defenseman, he’s becoming one of the league’s best.

That’s an amenity you want to keep as fresh as possible.

“We’re aware of it, we’re taking track of it,” Hextall said of Provorov’s on-ice metrics. “But Ivan is geared to handle a lot of minutes, the way he plays. He’s in great shape, his body’s built for it. In saying that, he’s still a young guy and we’ll stay on it on a day-today basis.”

Eyes are also peeled on Travis Sanheim, all of 21 and also a rookie. Sanheim made a key mistake in the season opener against the Kings, but has played strong of late. His ice time was projecting upward and he was solid against the Coyotes until ... he tried to make a play with 4-on-4 overtime counting down.

Sanheim wound up losing the puck and moments later, the Coyotes scored the winning goal with 14 seconds left to play in the OT.

One of the first to talk to him ... Provorov, of course. Something you’d expect out of a 20-year-old leader.

“Stuff like that happens,” Provorov said of Sanheim’s miscue. “There’ll be games that you’ll be minus-whatever. I had a game (in) Chicago last year where I was minus-5. Those games are going to happen; you’re going to make mistakes. You have to be able to learn from them.

“That was Game 3 of my career ... what am I in now, 93 or 94? So it was a good learning experience.”

••• NOTES » Nolan Patrick (concussion) and MacDonald (knee) have been put on injured reserve. Both Patrick and Gostisbehere did skate on their own Monday, however neither is making the trip to the Midwest . ... Hextall said MacDonald is “on track.” He was originally expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks after taking a slapshot just above the knee in a game against Edmonton Oct. 21. “We’re hoping (it’ll be) four (weeks); we’re optimistic,” Hextall said.