Ray Emery will get the call again in nets for the Flyers for Sunday’s first-round Game 2 at the Garden against the Rangers after Steve Mason, the club’s No. 1 throughout the season, ruled himself out for health reasons following Saturday’s practice.
Mason, who is suspected to have sustained a concussion on April 12 while taking the brunt of a second-period collision involving the Penguins’ Jayson Megna and Flyers defenseman Andre McDonald, said he hopes to be able to play in Tuesday’s Game 3 in Philadelphia, but there is no guarantee his health will permit that.
“Probably with the last 10 minutes of practice, what’s been bothering me wasn’t feeling very good,” said Mason, who spoke with general manager Paul Holmgren and coach Craig Berube at the end of his team’s session on the MSG ice. “Just in talking with [them], we decided I need a little more time before I get back in net.”
Mason, who went 33-18-7 with a 2.50 goals against average and .917 save percentage in 61 starts, said he is “getting better every day.”
“I’m going to make [Game 3] my goal and get as much rest as possible to make sure that when I get back in I’m 100 percent and ready to help the team rather than be a liability,” the goaltender said.
Emery made 32 saves in Game 1 that was tied 1-1 until Brad Richards and Derek Stepan scored 47 seconds apart on successive shots on both ends of a four-minute power play. The 31-year-old veteran has a 20-16 record in 36 career playoff starts, going 13-7 in taking the Senators to the 2007 Final they lost in five to the Ducks.
Whereas Henrik Lundqvist has started 67 straight playoff games for the Rangers since Kevin Weekes started Game 2 of the 2006 first-round sweep by the Devils, and 67 of the Blueshirts’ 68 postseason matches since 2006, the Flyers have started seven different goaltenders in their 76 tournament matches over that time period.
Martin Biron started 23 in 2008 and 2009; Brian Boucher 17 in 2010 and 2011; Michael Leighton 14 in 2010 and 2011; Ilya Bryzgalov 12 in 2012; Robert Esche six in 2006; Sergei Bobrovsky three in 2011; and Emery with one.
Rangers coach Alain Vigneault did not disclose his Game 2 lineup but no changes are expected. … Chris Kreider, who has been skating on his own while recuperating from the left hand injury and subsequent surgery that has sidelined him since March 24, remained home Saturday with the flu.
Jesper Fast had a touch of the flu Thursday morning, the reason he did not participate in that morning skate.
Martin St. Louis has 70 points (33-37) in 64 career playoff matches off his two-assist Game 1. St. Louis is one of six active players to average at least one point per postseason match while playing at least 50 games. The list in order: Sidney Crosby (1.28); Evgeni Malkin (1.18); St. Louis (1.09); Claude Giroux (1.08); Alex Ovechkin (1.05); and Daniel Briere (1.00).