1st star? Steve Mason
2nd star? Steve Mason
3rd star? Need I continue?
In what would be the result everyone had hoped for, Steve Mason made his first postseason start as a Flyer, and then proceeded to play lights out. After watching the club toil and labor to protect backup goaltender Ray Emery en route to a Game 3 loss at home in Philly, and handing the rival New York Rangers a 2-1 series lead, Mason’s debut was something virtually everyone in the city cried out for.
They would get their wish, and then some.
Game 3 was a trial of effort, and despite the Flyers putting on a shots on goal clinic, they were unable to make any real forward progress, no pun. The top line of Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, and Scott Hartnell found themselves constantly unable to get clear shots, and the Rangers made good on doubling up on Giroux, making his ability to generate any real offense extremely difficult. The old adage of quality over quantity held bearing considering the Flyers Game 2 win occurred despite being severely outshot.
Add in the fact that Emery allowed two quick goals to stake the Rangers to an early lead, and Philly found itself once again playing from behind the proverbial eight ball, a common theme throughout this series as the Rangers have scored the first goal in all four contests, including last night’s Game 4 loss. The bright side? They did happen early, giving the Flyers ample time to try and recover, putting themselves back in the game. They have for the most part made a series out of it, even though with the forward talent they possess, they should have probably taken a 3-1 series lead by now, instead of playing behind to even it.
Speaking of even, to describe Steve Mason’s return and play in net as such would be an understatement of epic proportions.
Sure, he coughed up an early goal to Dominic Moore. Sure, he looked mildly uneasy, and rightly so after having come back into a heated series from an injury, and knowing the only prior playoff experience Mason has had was working up a 4 + GAA and getting swept by a dominating Detroit Red Wings unit a few years earlier as Columbus Blue Jacket.
He wouldn’t let either get the best of him however, in turn giving the very best of himself with an acrobatic display during a first period that saw the Rangers outshoot the Flyers 16-6. He kept the team level, and allowed them to push forward, a bit of assurance that simply wasn’t present during Emery’s starts. He played the puck nicely to his teammates, and delivered an aura of unbeatability after making a handful of unbelievable saves, one of which where he flung himself across the crease and made an insane save with his stick, deflecting the puck to the side of net, where he then made a dash from his stomach to glove the post preventing any kind of rebound.
It was a performance for the ages, and against one of the all time greats in the man patrolling the net opposite the ice, Henrik Lundqvist. The biggest reason Mason looked so good besides all the great saves was the fact that the man known as King Hank was for the most part matching him on keeping the puck out. With a final score of 2-1, it was definitely a game for the goalies, a pitcher’s duel of sorts, and made for tense and exciting moments all at once.
It took a couple of tricky plays to sneak those two past Henrik, one coming from rookie Jason Akeson playing the puck off the boards in such a wild manner that Matt Read managed to catch Lundqvist off kilter for the tie goal. The Rangers got caught up in the chippy nature of the series this game around, and Dominic Moore eventually gave back the goal he scored by crosschecking Giroux for a Flyers power play, once that would see Brayden Schenn make his presence known with a blast that Voracek would deflect in for the deciding goal.
After a game like this, the momentum may have shifted in the Flyers favor, seeing as Mason’s stellar comeback has to be in their heads, even if a little bit. The slow Emery show is over, and the goaltending is now a wash on the comparison scale. Add in Ryan McDonagh’s shoulder woes limiting his shot, and Rick Nash struggling to find the net? Makes for a perfect timing recipe if you ask me.
All hail the return of Stone Cold, the Rangers might officially be on the ropes.
photo courtesy of NHL.com
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