Flyers Notes: Mason, Timonen unlikely to play on Flyers' trip

Goalie Steve Mason and defenseman Kimmo Timonen will be with the Flyers for their road trip, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will be in the lineup for those two games.

Last week, Mason, who is making a comeback from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, did not rule out playing in Carolina on Tuesday or in Toronto on Thursday.

"Tuesday, I would say no, and Thursday is not likely," general manager Ron Hextall said before the Flyers outlasted Washington, 3-2, Sunday afternoon. "It depends on how practice is going the next couple of days."

As for Timonen, who has missed the entire season because of blood clots, Hextall said he didn't expect him to play on the trip. "It's almost like [if I say], 'Kimmo, do you think you're ready to go?' and if he says yes, then we'll talk to the coaches. It's more like day to day."

It's more likely Mason and Timonen will return Saturday against the visiting New York Rangers.

The Flyers are trying their hardest to make Jake Voracek's projection come true.

At the all-star break, the high-scoring winger said the Flyers needed 25 wins in their final 34 games to secure a playoff berth.

After Sunday's stirring win, the Flyers have lost just once in regulation in the 12 games (7-1-4) since Voracek made the statement. If you add their win over Pittsburgh in the last game before the all-star break, the Flyers have points in 12 of their last 13 games, going on an 8-1-4 run.

"We were talking about it all year in the locker room with the boys, that this team is too good to be that low in the standings," Voracek said. "It took us a while to find the right rhythm, but over the last month, we've been finding ways to win games."

Zac Rinaldo was incredulous that he received any penalty minutes after Jason Chimera dropped his gloves and punched him in the face, knocking him down in the second period. Rinaldo never dropped his gloves.

Chimera got five minutes for fighting and a two-minute roughing penalty. Rinaldo was penalized five minutes for fighting.

Rinaldo said if he did what Chimera did, "I would have been kicked out or suspended."

Hextall said he has been getting "steady calls" on teams inquiring about his defensemen. . . . Late in the first period, the Caps' Matt Niskanen took a stride and knocked down Sean Couturier with a knee-to-knee hit. Couturier had to be helped off the ice, but he returned shortly thereafter. Niskanen is the player who caused Scott Laughton's concussion with a hit earlier this season. . . . The Caps had just two shots and no goals on five power plays.