The Flyers goaltending situation improved on Friday, when starter Steve Mason went through an hour-long practice at a public rink in Manhattan and said his objective was to play in Sunday’s Game 2 of this first-round playoff series with the Rangers.
Mason has been out since he was on the receiving end of a hard collision during the second-to-last game of the regular season, and it’s suspected he suffered a concussion. Veteran backup Ray Emery started in the Rangers’ 4-1 win in Game 1 on Thursday at the Garden, and when Mason was asked if he would be ready for Sunday, he said, “I’ll try my best,” according to ESPN.
Though he did not disclose what the injury is, he did tell reporters that he has suffered two concussions in his past, and that it’s pretty much up to the doctors to determine whether he’s ready to play.
“I’ll know when I’m ready to go physically, but it’s also management and doctors’ decision as well,” Mason said. “Like I said, things have been getting better each day and we still have a couple days before Sunday rolls around. So that’s definitely my goal.”
Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist took part in a very optional practice on Friday following Game 1, when he only faced 15 shots.
“I felt it was good to get out there and get a good sweat,” he said. “No thinking really, just get a good sweat.”
Lundqvist is one to always focus on the task at hand, but he admitted it’s difficult to keep the mind from wandering during this time of year.
“You want to focus on tomorrow’s practice, but it’s hard in the playoffs not to think about hockey 24/7,” Lundqvist said. “Thoughts are going through your head on what just happened and what’s going to happen. And then you go back to what you can do.”
Coach Alain Vigneault has prided himself on using his whole bench all season, and has been rewarded with the good play of his fourth line, consisting of Brian Boyle, Dominic Moore and Derek Dorsett. Boyle, who has a history of playing well in the postseason, had an especially good game on Thursday, notching four shots on net without getting one to go in.
“Some guys are more gifted offensively,” Vigneault said. “[Boyle] is doing a lot of the right things, so you just hope sooner rather than later, some of those go in for him – and for our team.”
Lundqvist had a rather comical remark towards Carl Hagelin, the fellow Swede who took a stick in the face in Thursday’s third period, setting up the double-minor power play that resulted in two goals and won the game for the Rangers.
“I think when you get hit in the face and then we score two goals, you can deal with it – especially in the playoffs,” Lundqvist said. “It seems like this year, his face is just a magnet. Normally, I’d feel a bit bad for him, but [Thursday], he can take one for the team.”