News Article: Steve Mason late scratch in Edmonton

[shipwreck]

Steve Mason late scratch in Edmonton

With that in mind, try to picture this situation - without the benefit of the conversation - and envision how it played out deep inside the bowels of Rexall Place about 15 minutes after the Flyers’ 5-4 overtime loss to Edmonton:

Craig Berube briskly walked toward the team’s bus, parked inside the arena, where goaltender Steve Mason was waiting near the door of the bus.

Mason attempted to engage in conversation with Berube, who instead shoved his briefcase into a storage compartment under the bus and turned and walked away, leaving Mason standing there.

The entire sequence last less than 15 seconds, but if body language does indeed account for the bulk of our communication, it said just about everything to this reporter watching from afar.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/frequentflyers/Steve-Mason-late-scratch-in-Edmonton.html

Click to read more...

 

[Danko]

The **** that has happened this season is ridiculous. We finally had a goalie who was consistantly playing well...no major goalie controversy and this jackass starts creating one.

This season has been disgusting. Make it stop and get rid of this clown.

 

[Domino666]

Berube is such a ****ing joke, first solid goalie we've had in forever and he wants to play games with him as if Mason hasn't played his heart out for this ****box team and coach this year way to go idiot, Hexy better let this tool go I'm slowly losing respect for Hexy letting this crap go on

 

[sa cyred]

Its almost like he is truely trying to destory this team. Its not even about tanking... Its like he is trying to make the team blow itself up before he gets fired.

 

[AndHeMissedTheNet]

Somebody needs to start a mutiny on this team.

 

[deadhead]

The less they play Mason down the final stretch, the better.
Why risk an injury to get a worse draft slot?
Wrap him in bubble paper.

 

[Adam Warlock]

Obviously, something went down between Berube/Mason/Reese and it's created a bad situation. Berube seems to be holding a grudge which is incredibly immature and unprofessional. I also wouldn't be surprised if Reese just flat out quit because he was frustrsted.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Somebody needs to start a mutiny on this team.

Is it possible that's what this was?

 

[Funf]

What the hell.

I think Berube has lost the room. I don't know the last time I heard of 3 players only meetings in one season (even the '06-'07 season from hell), and now this?

Edit: Also, if Mason is being alienated by the coaching staff, and management doesn't do something about it, I'll lose my mind. I'm already borderline over here, after Morganti accused Mase of acting like a diva last night, and Jeff Reese being let go. The organization should have learned their lesson a long time ago how to handle situations like this. Especially if it all stems from our MVP
(arguably) not wanting to play after coming back from ******* surgery.

Edit 2: Emery's comments about not knowing the situation until game time also worry me. There's a lack of communication there, either from Mason, or from the coaching staff.

 

[FlyersWillRockU]

Was at the game last night and Berube and his mindblowing bench management embarassed me as a fan in the Oilers barn. Pretty sad. I really hope that he is gone next year especially if there is a problem between him and Maze. The best goalie we have had in a long time doesnt need to be ruined by an idiot.

 

[LexSea]

Fire. Him. Now.

 

[Sombastate]

I kind of lost respect for Hextall for allowing this to continue

 

[BillDineen]

I posted this in the other thread, but how is this "hard" compared to what a backup prepares for each and every single game all season? Berube is a mental midget.

“It’s hard, definitely,” Berube said. “You know, your mindset is that you’re not playing and then you’ve got to get everything together real quickly. It was a tough situation for him.”

 

[bennysflyers16]

I kind of lost respect for Hextall for allowing this to continue

That's been my view for 3 months, putting Mase in vs Leafs cemented it. One guy could end all this mess and drama, but being an ex Flyer comes before making the obvious smart future decision.

 

[bennysflyers16]

I posted this in the other thread, but how is this "hard" compared to what a backup prepares for each and every single game all season? Berube is a mental midget.

“It’s hard, definitely,†Berube said. “You know, your mindset is that you’re not playing and then you’ve got to get everything together real quickly. It was a tough situation for him.â€

Berube looked like a spoiled child in that interview. Mason looked to me like he used the sick excuse to take this shot at Berube. Not the right thing, but it has obviously hit the breaking point. Only hope is Hextall makes the right choice

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

Yep, I haven't watched more than five minutes of a game since the Boston one. Not going to watch until Berube is fired. If he's not, well guess I won't be watching the Flyers next year. I pray to god they learned from their mistake of firing Lavi three games into the season and being stuck with Berube as the option.

 

[renberg]

I kind of lost respect for Hextall for allowing this to continue

A lot of fans have put this poor season on Holmgren and that might be partially correct. However, at some point Hextall has to take some responsibility. Allowing Berube to stick around; lose the locker room; and have a blow up with the goalies and his coach is indefensible. Is that the new Orange and black way of doing things? I hope not.

 

[BillDineen]

From Mar 18, but just thought it should go here:

“At least a week or a week and a half for everything to heal up,” he said. “You have a day off and then you are back at it the next day.

“Stretching the muscles on the one that are starting to heal and then stretch them again. The knee hasn’t hindered me, but it still has not gotten to the point where it is pain-free.”

Asked whether he felt he came back to the Flyers too early, he replied, “No, it’s fine out there. It’s just the feeling it’s not 100 percent inside it.”

http://www.csnphilly.com/hockey-phi...son-knee-wont-be-fully-healed-until-offseason

They need to fire Berube today and have Emery play out the season. This is dumb.

 

[Tripod]

What the hell.

I think Berube has lost the room. I don't know the last time I heard of 3 players only meetings in one season (even the '06-'07 season from hell), and now this?

Edit: Also, if Mason is being alienated by the coaching staff, and management doesn't do something about it, I'll lose my mind. I'm already borderline over here, after Morganti accused Mase of acting like a diva last night, and Jeff Reese being let go. The organization should have learned their lesson a long time ago how to handle situations like this. Especially if it all stems from our MVP
(arguably) not wanting to play after coming back from ******* surgery.

Edit 2: Emery's comments about not knowing the situation until game time also worry me. There's a lack of communication there, either from Mason, or from the coaching staff.

Your edit is something that everyone needs to re-read.

If Mason was feeling sick thru the day...like he said he was...why was Emery and Berube never told? Then you have the coach ignoring a player when he wants to talk to him after the game.

That is some bad crap going on behind closed doors.

Oh to be a fly on the wall for the players only meeting. God I hope Mason doesn't ask to be traded. But so far, se has seen his goalie coach quit, his GM promise he wouldn't play....then be put in anyways, and a coach refuse to talk to him.

Toxic.

And Hextall could probably fix the situation today by firing Berube on the spot. Then throw Holmgren into coach since he loved most of the players when signing them!

 

[Curufinwe]

I posted this in the other thread, but how is this "hard" compared to what a backup prepares for each and every single game all season? Berube is a mental midget.

“It’s hard, definitely,†Berube said. “You know, your mindset is that you’re not playing and then you’ve got to get everything together real quickly. It was a tough situation for him.â€

It would be even harder if you were the backup in a game and had just missed over two weeks with a knee injury that required surgery.

 

[Funf]

Your edit is something that everyone needs to re-read.

If Mason was feeling sick thru the day...like he said he was...why was Emery and Berube never told? Then you have the coach ignoring a player when he wants to talk to him after the game.

That is some bad crap going on behind closed doors.

Oh to be a fly on the wall for the players only meeting. God I hope Mason doesn't ask to be traded. But so far, se has seen his goalie coach quit, his GM promise he wouldn't play....then be put in anyways, and a coach refuse to talk to him.

Toxic.

And Hextall could probably fix the situation today by firing Berube on the spot. Then throw Holmgren into coach since he loved most of the players when signing them!

This is what worries me. Mase is too important to us, and it's one thing for him to be feuding with the coach, it would be another if it spirals out of control and he ends up being ostracized by the players. Emery should have known about the situation earlier in the day, and in my books, has every right to be unhappy about not being told. If that's Berube's fault - it just looks like he's on his way out a little faster. If it's Mason's fault, it gets more complicated than that. We don't want to lose the best goaltender we've had in years, but we also don't want the locker room becoming toxic.

Obviously this is all conjecture. I'm not saying anything along these lines is actually happening, and from what we've seen, Mason is a fairly popular guy in the locker room. It's also telling that Reese obviously stuck up for Mason in recent weeks, and that the players have had multiple closed door meetings (most importantly closed off to Berube). All signs point towards Berube being incompetent and losing the room. I still worry though. Mason is too important to get dragged into all this ********.

 

[Striiker]

People complaining about Hextall already?

wow.

We knew this was going to suck but we wanted to be patient and let the team rebuild the right way... now it's gotten tough and we're blaming him for a poor season and keeping Berube (like most agreed was the best choice months ago, and still is)?

Hindsight + impatience = irrational thoughts

Relax, the season is almost over and then we can just look forward to the draft, finding a new coach, and hoping Hextall can make some trades in the offseason. Berube will be gone soon enough.

 

[ILoveStephanieBrown]

yeah, not really sure why people are turning on him. well, i do know why, but the reasoning is Pejorative Slured. you're starting to see which posters here really are committed through the long haul and which ones dont have the patience to see the plan through. only complaint i have is letting jeff reese go, though that was a mutual parting.

 

[YEM]

praying to jebus that mase lets this all go and doesn't demand to be moved in the offseason...

 

[4thline4life]

I'd heavily consider even being a fan of this team if we lose Mason because of this idiot. First great goalie we've had in 20 years and this coach is doing everything to destroy his confidence. Just an absolute joke. Maybe if the coach could get his team to score 5 on 5 then maybe his goalie could have gotten a few road wins despite having good stats on the road. Maybe he would of played if his coach didn't throw him under the bus after killing it all year long. Hextall is letting this get out hand, just fire him already. I don't care if Riley cote is the interm coach, berube has not only ruined this season but is now dead set on ruining the locker room. You can't make this stuff up.