Steve Mason obviously had a slow start to his season, and it’s a big reason why the Philadelphia Flyers had a slow start. After all, bad goaltending is a chief reason why the team remains near the basement in the goals against category, and it’s the reason that until last night, the Flyers were out of a playoff spot.
But Mason has shown signs of turning things around, and amidst this five-game Flyers winning streak, he’s been a big reason for the team’s success. As such, the NHL named him their first star of the week for the week ending yesterday, December 4.
From the league’s press release:
Mason led the NHL with four wins in four outings, compiling a 1.71 goals-against average and .945 save percentage to propel the Flyers (14-10-3, 31 points) into the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. He made a season-high 45 saves – and turned aside eight-of-nine shootout attempts – in a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins Nov. 29. Mason then posted 19 saves in a 3-2 overtime win against the Ottawa Senators Dec. 1 before collecting back-to-back weekend victories: 26 saves in a 3-1 triumph over the Chicago Blackhawks Dec. 3 and 30 saves in a 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators Dec. 4. The 28-year-old Oakville, Ont., native owns a 9-8-3 record with a 2.76 goals-against average and .904 save percentage in 21 appearances this season. His four-game winning streak is one shy of his career high, established Dec. 17-30, 2013 (5-0-0).
Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko, who had four goals and an assist in three games last week, was named the second star. Sharks goalie Martin Jones, who went 3-0-0 with a .962 save percentage in three games last week, was named the third star.
