Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Quality Win, Quick Hits

Great win last night. Solid effort.

That's one thing about Mason, man he has a spectacular glove hand. I wouldn't think about shooting to that side if I was the opposition.

Thanks Bill. Great writeup. Timonen is a beastly man. So many good things happened last night with the Flyers.

Just need to win Saturday and all will be good

Mason <3 Also that Mackinnon kid is a beast, he was all over the ice last night, he definitely deserved that goal. Ironically it came on his worse chance of the night.

I really like having the best players at the Olympics, but I don't blame Snider for hating them. I hope all the Flyers going to Sochi do well and don't get hurt.

I really like having the best players at the Olympics, but I don't blame Snider for hating them. I hope all the Flyers going to Sochi do well and don't get hurt.
- Feanor

Snider has every right to feel however he does about the Olympics... but I have a hard time believing that the NHL didn't get some benefit from the 2010 games, especially with a USA/Canada final. I thought there was a lot of general buzz around it, but maybe I'm remembering wrong

Snider has every right to feel however he does about the Olympics... but I have a hard time believing that the NHL didn't get some benefit from the 2010 games, especially with a USA/Canada final. I thought there was a lot of general buzz around it, but maybe I'm remembering wrong
- eayost

Eh, I'm not really of the mindset that international competition like that brings very many new fans to the NHL. If it did, believe me, guys like Snider would be all over it.

It's kind of like World Cup soccer. Just because folks watch World Cup soccer, that doesn't mean they will go to or follow the Philadelphia Union.

I think it's the same for hockey.

The reasons why I think Mason is the real deal for the long term are:

1) Best glove hand and lateral movement I've seen on a regular basis from a Flyers goaltender in years. He is also the team's best puckhandling goalie since Ron Hextall, although Robert Esche was pretty good in that respect, too.

2) He has matured on and off the ice, and has developed a tremendous work ethic. The Flyers have an 11:30 practice this morning. As usual, Mason will be out there working with Jeff Reese well before anyone else takes the ice.

3) Most of his saves are technically sound. He's not a guesser.

4) When he does have to scramble and battle for saves, he shows both tremendous competitiveness and a sense of calm.

5) When he does allow a bad goal -- and all goalies give up a few bad ones, no matter who they are -- he has become good at putting it aside immediately. Again, that goes back to maturity.

I wonder is Steve Mason also had the Flu. I noticed him taking a pill at the bench between play, and Bill saying he had leg cramps. It screams of being dehydrated due to the flu. If thats true and he still played as well as he has... Good job Steve.

Great win last night. Solid effort.
- FlyersFirst

+1

- Hesh_

The Flyers as a team blocked 26 shots in last nights game. Seventeen were by Timonen

The reasons why I think Mason is the real deal for the long term are:

1) Best glove hand and lateral movement I've seen on a regular basis from a Flyers goaltender in years. He is also the team's best puckhandling goalie since Ron Hextall, although Robert Esche was pretty good in that respect, too.

2) He has matured on and off the ice, and has developed a tremendous work ethic. The Flyers have an 11:30 practice this morning. As usual, Mason will be out there working with Jeff Reese well before anyone else takes the ice.

3) Most of his saves are technically sound. He's not a guesser.

4) When he does have to scramble and battle for saves, he shows both tremendous competitiveness and a sense of calm.

5) When he does allow a bad goal -- and all goalies give up a few bad ones, no matter who they are -- he has become good at putting it aside immediately. Again, that goes back to maturity.
- bmeltzer

No better example than last night. He allowed the softy to McKinnon and it gave the Avs momentum. Instead of caving, he came up with a huge lateral save.

I love everything Mason brings. His puck handling, his competitiveness to never quit on a play and his mental toughness.

It's so nice to have a goalie who can steal you games sometimes. For so long, the Flyers would have to outplay the other team, every game, in order to offset the goalies.

As a side note, anyone think Flyers will make a trade today?

No better example than last night. He allowed the softy to McKinnon and it gave the Avs momentum. Instead of caving, he came up with a huge lateral save.

I love everything Mason brings. His puck handling, his competitiveness to never quit on a play and his mental toughness.

It's so nice to have a goalie who can steal you games sometimes. For so long, the Flyers would have to outplay the other team, every game, in order to offset the goalies.
- PhillySportsGuy

+1

As a side note, anyone think Flyers will make a trade today?
- Streit2ThePoint

No, no need to right now.

I wonder is Steve Mason also had the Flu. I noticed him taking a pill at the bench between play, and Bill saying he had leg cramps. It screams of being dehydrated due to the flu. If thats true and he still played as well as he has... Good job Steve.
- youarewrong

You can take potassium pills for cramps

As a side note, anyone think Flyers will make a trade today?
- Streit2ThePoint

I doubt it, unless we can find some team willing to actually give up assets for mez

I wonder is Steve Mason also had the Flu. I noticed him taking a pill at the bench between play, and Bill saying he had leg cramps. It screams of being dehydrated due to the flu. If thats true and he still played as well as he has... Good job Steve.
- youarewrong

I think if he had the flu, he wouldn't have been playing, and the Flyers would have called up a backup and get Mason removed from being around the team.

The reasons why I think Mason is the real deal for the long term are:

1) Best glove hand and lateral movement I've seen on a regular basis from a Flyers goaltender in years. He is also the team's best puckhandling goalie since Ron Hextall, although Robert Esche was pretty good in that respect, too.

2) He has matured on and off the ice, and has developed a tremendous work ethic. The Flyers have an 11:30 practice this morning. As usual, Mason will be out there working with Jeff Reese well before anyone else takes the ice.

3) Most of his saves are technically sound. He's not a guesser.

4) When he does have to scramble and battle for saves, he shows both tremendous competitiveness and a sense of calm.

5) When he does allow a bad goal -- and all goalies give up a few bad ones, no matter who they are -- he has become good at putting it aside immediately. Again, that goes back to maturity.
- bmeltzer

Good review of Mason. But IMO Bobrovsky's lateral movement was superior... Bob was just faster post to post, while Mason might over-commit less.

As a side note, anyone think Flyers will make a trade today?
- Streit2ThePoint

Doubtful. I don't think we'll see much trading from this team for the rest of the season.

I could see them moving Downie. There really aren't many defenseman available who will upgrade this team without having to overpay.

I think if he had the flu, he wouldn't have been playing, and the Flyers would have called up a backup and get Mason removed from being around the team.
- MJL

Could have been the tail end of the flu... no longer contagious, but still dehydrated... I mean JJ said it was going through the team.