There is one irrefutable necessity for success in the playoffs — good goaltending. That might be in question for the Flyers.
According to reports out of Philadelphia, starter Steve Mason left Tuesday’s practice after just 15 minutes, and coach Craig Berube would not declare if he would be ready for Game 1 against the Rangers on Thursday night at the Garden.
Mason was on the receiving end of a hard collision during the team’s 4-3 overtime win in Pittsburgh on Saturday. He was run into by Penguins forward Jayson Megna with 3:33 remaining in the second period. He did not returning for the third and was replaced by journeyman Ray Emery.
Mason didn’t play in the regular-season finale on Sunday at home against the Hurricanes, and it’s being speculated he either has a mild concussion or a slight whiplash of the neck. The Flyers are 9-12-3 in games started by someone other than Mason this season, including an Emery start on Jan. 12 won by the Rangers, 4-1. Mason was 2-1 against the Blueshirts, as the teams split their season series with both teams winning two games on their home ice.
Mason also has just four games of NHL playoff experience — he was the goalie for the Blue Jackets when they were swept in the first round in 2009. That is in stark contrast to his counterpart, Henrik Lundqvist, who has 67 playoff games under his belt, including 20 two seasons ago when he led the Blueshirts to the conference finals.
“Playing big-pressure games should help a player,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “In Hank’s case, he’s been through the biggest games possible except for the Stanley Cup final. So he’s been waiting for this moment, just like the rest of our team.”
The Rangers’ No. 1 defenseman Ryan McDonagh practiced fully and was all set to rejoin the lineup for Game 1 after missing the final five games of the regular season with a shoulder injury.
“He’s been our best player all year long,” fellow defenseman Marc Staal said. “It’s great that he’s healthy and ready to go.”
The Flyers obviously will try to attack McDonagh, and Staal doesn’t think that’s out of the ordinary at all.
“I think that would have been their game plan anyway, even if he wasn’t coming back from injury,” Staal said. “Something that every team talks about is being physical on top players. It wears them down over the course of the series in the playoffs, so I don’t think that will change much. They’re going to come and finish their checks anyway.”
The Rangers signed free-agent defenseman Mat Bodie, the 24-year-old senior captain of Union College’s NCAA championship team. The 6-foot, 175-pounder registered 28 goals and 124 points in 154 career games in college, and will join the club at this summer’s developmental camp, keeping the first year of his entry-level deal alive.
Flyers defenseman and former Islander Andrew MacDonald signed a contract extension with Philadelphia for six years, $30 million. He had previously turned down the Isles’ offer of four years, $16 million before being traded to the Flyers in exchange for second- and third-round picks along with a prospect.