Surging Flyers over .500; Emery may be playing for a while
WASINGTON — The surging Flyers went over the .500 points mark for the first time since Nov. 14 on Sunday, but their already-thin playoff hopes got even thinner.
They lost Steve Mason, one of the NHL's best goalies since the start of November, to his third injury in seven weeks. The Flyers (23-22-8), who are 5-0-1 in their last six games, wouldn't release the nature of his lower-body injury. and said they would know more after the goalie's medical exam Monday.
Until further notice, that leaves Ray Emery as the team's No. 1 goalie, perhaps for a long time.
The bad news: Emery has scuffled this season, compiling a 3.34 goals-against average and .886 save percentage. Mason has a 2.27 GAA and .925 save percentage.
The good news: For whatever reason, the Flyers score a lot more goals per game for Emery (3.25) than they do for Mason (2.14). In fact, no NHL goalie has better goal support than Emery, according to HockeyAnalysis.com. Mason's goal-support average in 48th among NHL goalies.
Despite Emery's poor GAA and save percentage, he has a better record (9-9-1) than Mason (11-12-7).
"Ray's done a good job all year and we have faith in him," said right winger Wayne Simmonds, who scored his team-leading fifth-game winning goal of the season as the Flyers defeated Washington, 3-1, at the Verizon Center. "He comes in and he's a really calm guy."
The Flyers killed five of six penalties. They have been successful on 18 of their last 20 penalty kills.
"We did a good job pressuring them," said coach Craig Berube, whose team has been more aggressive on the PK lately. "Up ice, we had a lot more pressure, first and foremost. It gets guys skating and deters their breakouts."
Forwards Sean Couturier, Matt Read, Chris VandeVelde, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare excelled on the PK, along with defensemen Michael DelZotto, Luke Schenn, Nick Schultz, and Andrew MacDonald.
Breakaways. GM Ron Hextall kidded that if he was 15 years younger, he might try suiting up for the Flyers....The Flyers won 61 percent of the faceoffs and outhit the Caps, 36-31……Brayden Schenn led the Flyers with five hits….The Flyers play in Montreal against the powerful Canadiens on Tuesday, then play in Columbus on Friday and in Buffalo on Sunday….The Flyers moved to within nine points of Boston in the playoff race.
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.