For Flyers, Mason and L. Schenn are in; MacDonald out

Goalie Steve Mason felt fine at the morning skate and he will face the surging Washington Capitals on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Mason, who has a 2.50 GAA and .919 ave percentage, left Wednesday's practice with soreness, but an MRI - robably taken on his knee - showed there was no major injury.

Defenseman Luke Schenn will return to the lineup tonight, and Andrew MacDonald will be a healthy scratch. Coach Craig Berube said he wants Schenn to play because the Caps are a physical team.

"That's a big team over there," Berube said. "They're very good on the cycle; they have some big forwards that really are tough to stop on the cycle, so we need a big, physical player."

Berube noted that the Flyers have eight healthy defensemen, "and I think it's important that we use everybody in different situations. That's important. It's a team thing."

MacDonald was also a healthy scratch on Nov. 29.

Schenn was a healthy scratch in three of the previous four games, and he is puzzled as to why he wasn't playing.

Washington, coming off a 6-2 win in Toronto on Wednesday, is on an 11-1-3 run, has climbed to third place in the Metroploutan Division, and has a 12-point lead over the Flyers.

This is the first of four meetings between the teams this season, and they will also play Wednesday in Washington; they will face each other four times between Thursday and Feb. 22.

The Flyers, nine points out of a wild-card spot, are coming off a 2-1 shootout win over Ottawa in the opener of a four-game homestand.

"We've put ourselves in a tough situation, but we've got games left that we can make ground up," Berube said. "That's all I'm focused on."

Alex Ovechkin leads the Caps with 20 goals.

Noting that Washington played Wednesday and then had to travel, winger Matt Read said it was critical for the Flyers to get off to a quick start. "That's one of the things we try to accomplish at home _ come out in the first 10 minutes to take over a game. That's what we have to do right off the opening bat," Read said. "Get pucks deep and make them go all the way back behind the net to retrieve pucks."

Breakaways.  Mark Streit on the Flyers overcoming a nine-point deficit and reaching the playoffs. "I'm 100 percent sure we can make up that ground," he said. "...We just need to be more consistent."......The Flyers, Ottawa and Florida have played the fewest home games in the NHL: 17.....Despite having points in just two of his last six games, Jake Voracek leads the league with 48 points. Claude Giroux is fourth with 44 points....Washington's Braden Holtby (19-8-6, 2.29, .921) is expected to start and set a goalie franchise record by playing in his 23d straight game.