Flyers vs Rangers game four starts tonight at 7 PM Eastern Time in Philadelphia with New York holding a 2-1 lead in the Rangers vs Flyers series. Fans can expect more of the same brawn versus finesse battle at the Flyers try to muscle their way back to even in the opening round series of the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Flyers are switching horses in net, going with Steve Mason in tonight’s Rangers vs Flyers game. This isn’t the first time the Flyers have platooned goaltenders. They took tandem goalies into the Stanley Cup finals in 2010. According to an AP report, Mason had this to say coming in with the Flyers down 2-1 to the Rangers:
“I felt really sharp, especially on the power play stuff there. I was moving well, seeing the pucks through screens. If that’s a gauge, I feel pretty good. I know they were going through different injuries, but I don’t know if guys were playing up to par. We don’t really focus on what’s happened in the past. You look at ways that you can help out your defensemen. Help to transition into a breakout a little bit smoother and spend less time in our own zone. If that’s something that I can help out on, it’ll be a benefit to us.”
Mason’s prior playoff experience amounts to being swept by the Detroit Red Wings in the opening round when he played for the Columbus Blue Jackets in his rookie season.
For their part, the Rangers aren’t concerned with who is in goal. They’re focused on putting the net behind the man in the mask, whoever it is. Rangers coach Alain Vigneault had this to say about his team’s preparation for tonight’s Rangers vs Flyers game:
“We went through the same preparation on Mason as we went through with (Flyers’ other goaltender) Emery. We know what to expect from him, and we know the areas that we need to go after him. We tested Emery and we’re going to try to test Mason, no doubt.”
The Rangers and Flyers have been battling
