Philadelphia Flyers goalie Steve Mason will miss up to two weeks with a lower-body injury, general manager Ron Hextall said Sunday.
Mason exited the game Saturday against the Boston Bruins with the injury. With 12:56 remaining in the first period, Mason stopped a shot from the Bruins' Craig Cunningham going down to the ice and was unable to get up. He skated off and left under his own power.
Ray Emery entered the game in relief of Mason and made 10 saves on 13 shots.
This is the third time in the past month Mason has sustained an injury. He missed four games in December with an upper-body injury. Last Wednesday Mason left practice early and was taken for an MRI for general soreness.
"This isn't related to anything else," Hextall said. "This is independent of anything that's happened to him to this point. We had reassurance from our medical staff that he was fine. We need to win right now and it's the coach's obligation to put the best lineup on the ice that he can, assuming we're not putting anyone at risk."
Goalie Rob Zepp was recalled from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League. Zepp won his NHL debut on Dec. 21, a 4-3 victory against the Winnipeg Jets.
"My hunch would be that we're comfortable with the two guys that are going to be here," Hextall said. "You bring a guy like Rob in for a reason just in case someone is hurt. We're in that situation now. Obviously it's Craig's [coach Craig Berube] decision, but I'm assuming that Rob get will get a game. We'll wait and see how he does and see how Ray does.
"You never know how much of a setback it is until the guys that are replacing him play. Obviously it's not what we want, it's a tough break for our hockey club, but it is what it is and we're going to deal with it. In the end, Ray is a capable guy and we brought Rob in for a reason, and this is the reason. Hopefully, it'll be a couple weeks and we get through the period without Mase."
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