‘Dialed in' Steve Mason Propels Flyers Past Rangers With 1st Shutout of Season

BOX SCORE

NEW YORK - Go to Brooklyn last Sunday, and you get a complete team effort in a win over the Islanders.

Come to Madison Square Garden a few days later, and your goalie steals a game for you with a little help at the end.

The Flyers stole two points they desperately needed from the Rangers and regained the second wild card on Wednesday night with a 2-0 victory (see Instant Replay).

The Rangers had won 11 of the previous 12 against the Flyers in this building going back to 2011. 

Steve Mason threw his first shutout this season with 34 saves. Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek provided the offense in the third period but this win was clearly on Mason (see feature highlight).

Now the Flyers have a chance to go into the All-Star break with a three-game win streak, depending upon Thursday's game against Toronto, which has all kinds of implications in the Eastern Conference standings.

"Mase made some huge saves and we haven't won too many games here (in New York) during my six years here," Simmonds said.

"It's a good road victory. You could tell [Mason] was dialed in from the start. First shift we were hemmed into our zone and he had to make two, three saves off the bat.

"You could tell by the look in his eye. Mase is a great goalie. When he's on, it's really hard to beat him."

Mason's victory marks his 94th with the Flyers, which moves him into third on the franchise's all-time list behind only Ron Hextall (240) and Bernie Parent (232).

The Flyers were badly outshot (27-16) through two periods and badly out-chanced, as well. Mason bought them time.

Players said they felt they had a chance to steal one off Henrik Lundqvist given it was scoreless after two periods and Mason was frustrating the Rangers' best shooters.

"I try to focus on my job and that is to stop the puck regardless of what is going on," Mason said. "At no point was I worried that we weren't going to get anything. I was more focused on not trying to give them anything."

The Flyers had little offense initially. Their best chances were a 2-on-1 rush up the ice with Sean Couturier taking too much time before being caught from behind by Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein, and Claude Giroux's uncontested shot in the slot that Lundqvist got a piece of.

Mason kept the Flyers in this game throughout. The Rangers had so many quality scoring chances, it's hard to pinpoint a few, but Rick Nash was stoned twice within seconds in the second period and that doesn't include the giveaway Mason gave him early in the stanza.

Nash had four shots through two periods and five in the game.

"No matter what they had, we had to be ready for the third period, it was 0-0," Voracek said. "It was a good spot to be in. It reminded me of the way we had played during the win streak.

"We had confidence to find a way to win the game and we did. They make you work for every inch of ice."

Flyers coach Dave Hakstol called it a good road win more than Mason stealing them a win.

"We did what we had to do to get through the first two periods," Hakstol said. "We gave up a couple odd-man rushes and got some good saves from Mase.

"Second period we didn't win enough battles in the key areas, down low in our zone, our own blue line. At different times, down low in their zone."

The power play snapped an 0-for-14 skid over the previous two games in the third period on Simmonds' 10th power-play goal - his 20th goal overall - from the slot at 9:09. Michael Grabner fanned on a clearing attempt and Simmonds pounced on it.

Three minutes later, Voracek had a shot ricochet off Grabner to make it 2-0. It was his 14th goal and 44th point this season.

"Mase allowed us to get our feet under us," Simmonds said. "The first half of the game wasn't the greatest. Mase stood in there and made some unbelievable saves for us. At the end of the day, it's a good road win for us."

The victory put the Flyers back in the second wild-card spot. Toronto is pushing for that spot, as well, and beat up on Detroit Wednesday to move into third place of the Atlantic Division.

"Toronto is a great team playing really well," Simmonds said. "We can't look past them. We have to get a better effort than tonight."