Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Goalie nods: Mason gets surprise start for Flyers, Neuvirth ‘unavailable’

Steve Mason

Steve Mason

AP

Steve Mason woke up Tuesday not knowing if he was playing tonight.

He learned the answer at this morning’s skate.

From CSN Philly:

As Mason got loose, Flyers goalie coach Kim Dillabaugh waved the netminder down to the other side of the rink and proceeded to whisper something in his ear.

The message was that Mason will start on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings and that backup Michal Neuvirth will not be available.

Neuvirth has an upper-body injury, according to GM Ron Hextall. The Flyers have called up goalie Anthony Stolarz on an emergency basis to serve as Mason’s backup tonight.

“It was up in the air yesterday and I found out at the skate here,” Mason said. “It’s different circumstances, but it doesn’t really affect me. You prepare every single night as if you’re going to be playing the game regardless of the situation.”

Mason has had a tough season. He’s 3-5-2 with an .895 save percentage. However, he did win his last outing, a 3-2 overtime decision Saturday in Carolina.

Jonathan Quick is likely to start for the Kings.

Elsewhere...

-- Martin Jones for the Sharks. Tuukka Rask likely for the Bruins.

-- Antti Niemi for the Stars. Linus Ullmark for the Sabres.

-- Brian Elliott for the Blues. Sergei Bobrovsky for the Blue Jackets.

-- Devan Dubnyk for the Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury for the Penguins.

-- Reto Berra for the Avalanche. James Reimer for the Maple Leafs.

-- Frederik Anderson for the Ducks. Pekka Rinne expected for the Predators.

-- Cory Schneider for the Devils. Karri Ramo for the Flames.