Sam Morin is trying to catch a break.

After missing most of last season recovering from knee surgery, the 24-year-old defenseman hoped to break camp with the Flyers and get things going in his career.

Morin did break camp with the team, but was a healthy scratch through its first eight games of the season. When he finally did get a chance to play against the Islanders, he was basically outmatched and outskated.

With the long layoff, it’s hard to blame Morin for the performance, but it’s also hard to blame Flyers coach Alain Vigneault.

The truth is that it’s been hard to find a spot to insert Morin because the play of the Flyers defenseman has been pretty good this season.

Vigneault admitted that he was impressed by Morin in camp and liked what he saw from him in practice, but just couldn’t find a reason to scratch any of the other defenseman — leaving Morin caught in the middle.

Last Thursday, the Flyers sent Morin to the Phantoms on a conditioning assignment. Technically, a conditioning assignment is supposed to be reserved for players coming off an injury and needing ice time before returning to the grind of the NHL.

Morin’s situation likely stretches the rule slightly, since he was available to play all season, but simply wasn’t put into the lineup. It’s one of those things that no one is going to complain about, and the rule has been abused more blatantly than the Flyers did when sending Morin to Lehigh Valley.

Justin Braun is the likely weak link in the Flyers defense, having a minus-five rating this season. The Flyers may have a decision to make about Braun when Morin is deemed ready to return to Philadelphia.

Morin played in two of the Phantoms three games over the last weekend with three shots on goal, but no points. While Vigneault credited Morin with his performance in practices, playing in practice isn’t the same as playing in a game.

The move to send Morin to Lehigh Valley was just one of many moves the Flyers made going into the weekend. Forward Mikhail Vorobyev was also sent to LV on loan from the Flyers. Meanwhile, Philly recalled forwards German Rubtsov and Carsen Twarynski, along with defenseman Phillippe Myers.

FROSTY THE POINT MAN ... Morgan Frost has four goals and five assists in his last seven games, and is riding a seven-game point streak with the Phantoms. The streak started with a three-assist game against Binghamton, and is now the third longest active point streak in the AHL.

BRIDGEPORT SNAPS PHANTOMS STREAK ... The Bridgeport Sound Tigers came from behind Sunday in Bridgeport to gain a 3-2 win over Lehigh Valley. The Phantoms’ loss ended their string of consecutive games with a point at eight. A night earlier, Lehigh Valley’s Jean-Francois Berube made 26 saves in a 3-2 Phantoms win to stretch the streak to eight, which tied the team record.

PUTTING IN THE OT ... For the fourth time this season, Lehigh Valley came from behind to force overtime when it overcame a 3-0 deficit to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Friday night to go to OT. Three of their four OT games have come on their home ice.