Steve Mason playing huge role in Flyers win streak

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Steve Mason nearly left his smartphone in the Wells Fargo Center locker room after he made 21 saves in a 4-2 win against the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
The device's calendar has become a lifeline.
"I couldn't even tell you what day of the week it is right now, how many games we've played this season," Mason said. "We've had a busy schedule."

Busy is an understatement, but the work seems to be agreeing with Mason, who has played 14 of the Flyers' past 16 games. Since relieving an injured Michal Neuvirth in the second period against the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 12, Mason is 10-3-1 with a 2.31 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. He's been even better more recently, winning seven straight games with a 2.23 GAA and .930 save percentage.
His string of consecutive starts ended when Anthony Stolarz played in the Flyers' 1-0 overtime win against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, but Mason will start against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TCN-PH, NHL.TV) when the Flyers will seek their 10th straight win.
Prior to Neuvirth's injury, Mason was 3-5-2 with a 3.41 GAA and .880 save percentage and played 11 of the Flyers' first 16 games.
"When you're playing well, you want to keep going," Mason said. "But there's also times when as a goaltender if you don't play well and you get to go right back in it's awesome to get right back at it, where if you don't play well and you have to sit for a game or two or three, that's when it's the most tough. To be in a No. 1 position when you're playing every game and have the rare day off, that's the position every goaltender wants to be in, to be that guy looked at night in and night out. There's a responsibility to make sure you're as sharp as possible every day."
That's meant monitoring Mason's ice time on non-game days to keep him as fresh as possible.

"There's such a fine line there because practice time is important to work on the details of your game, whatever position you play," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. "To balance that when you're going through a busy schedule, that's the area where everybody really has to communicate and be on the same page so you can balance how much opportunity you have to work on some of the detail, as opposed to how much of that time do you have to save and get some rest."
Last week (when the Flyers played four games in seven days) provided a look at how that process worked.
The stretch started with Mason making 30 saves in a 4-2 win at the Nashville Predators in the second game of a back-to-back that started with him making 26 saves in a 3-1 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks at home Saturday. After a day off Monday, Mason started his preparation for a game against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday with 15 minutes of on-ice work with goaltending coach Kim Dillabaugh before the 30-minute morning skate. He made 42 saves in a 3-2 overtime win that night.
Mason stayed off the ice Wednesday, then went through his day-of-game routine to get ready for the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. The Flyers won 6-5, but Mason allowed five goals on 33 shots and said he didn't feel sharp.
Mason skated for about 20 minutes at an optional practice Friday and said he felt better against the Stars.
"I had asked for [Wednesday] off," Mason said. "I knew I was going to be playing [Thursday] and [needed to] find some energy. The coaches have been really receptive with me in terms of what I need personally to try to feel my best night in and night out."

Mason is no stranger to long stretches of work; last season, he played 17 of the Flyers' final 19 regular-season games and was 10-4-3 with a 2.14 GAA and .924 save percentage to help Philadelphia clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
As a rookie the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2008-09, he started 41 of their last 45 games (including 19 of the final 20) to help them qualify for the playoffs.
Mason said age has made him wiser in how he takes care of his body to handle the rigors of playing almost every game.
"I'm much more in-tune with how my body feels now," he said. "I probably feel a lot more now, now that I've been in the League for nine years. You have to listen to what your body is telling you. Sometimes your mind may feel fresh, but your body doesn't and vice versa. You just have to manage it."
After playing seven games in the first 11 days of December, the Flyers have five games in 11 days before the Christmas break. The extra days between games will provide additional rest, but Mason said he wants to keep rolling along.
"Right now, I just come to the rink and I prepare to play," he said. "If [Hakstol] calls my name, I'll be back in."