Manning’s outdoor hit puts him outside looking in

VOORHEES, N.J. >> What at first looked like one of the brightest moments of another lowlight game for the Flyers outdoors in Pittsburgh Saturday has now cost defenseman Brandon Manning the next two games and nearly $11,000 in fines.

Manning was slapped with a two-game suspension Monday by the league’s Department of Player Safety for a significant check to the Penguins’ Jake Guentzel deemed too high and too late. While Manning is deemed Public Enemy No. 1 in Edmonton for shortening Connor McDavid rookie season last year with a very edgy play, this one earned Manning his first NHL suspension.

“My intent wasn’t to hurt him there or anything,” Manning said Monday. “That’s the way I play and when you have an opportunity for an open-ice check, you want to take it. I’ve probably watched it 100 times already and when you slow it down it’s easy to say, ‘Well, yeah, he didn’t have the puck.’ But when you’re in the moment and you’re under the lights like that, there.”

According to the Player Safety video announcing the penalty, Manning’s hit on Guentzel involved “substantial head contact.” It also came while the puck was going beyond Guentzel to Sidney Crosby and the video points out hitting a player in such a fashion when he doesn’t have the puck is a clear interference.

“Manning intiates this hit after the puck is already gone, and contact is made well outside the allowable window for finishing a check,” the video statement said. “In addition things happen out to the lateness of the check, Manning makes significant and forceful contact with the head of Guentzel.”

Manning said he didn’t know Guentzel was going to deflect the puck over to Crosby with his skate instead of taking possession of it.

“Usually when a puck hits your skates you try to pick it up, but he kind of left it,” Manning said.

*** Steve Mason, backing up Michal Neuvirth for the last seven games, will get a start Tuesday night when the moribund Colorado Avalanche visit the Wells Fargo Center. Considering the Flyers are in dire straits when it comes to playoff hopes, Mason is considered a potential trade target with his contract winding down this season.

But Mason pointed out “it wasn’t up to me” that he has gone this far without working out an extended deal. He’s trying to put the near future out of his mind while helping his team get straightened out. He’d prefer to do that as a starter, of course.

“No goalies, I don’t think, should or can play 70 games,” Mason said. “It’s not good for a long playoff push. But I still think you need to have a designated No. 1 guy who’s getting 55 starts compared to the backup.

“I think there’s value in having two strong goaltenders, but if you talk to any goaltender you’d rather be the guy who’s playing more often than not.”

*** Coach Dave Hakstol had an on-ice meeting with his three captainly leaders Monday, including the seriously struggling Claude Giroux, who said later, “Everybody’s a little frustrated right now. Everybody needs to be a little better, everybody needs to give a little more.”