News Article: Steve Mason late scratch in Edmonton

[Tripod]

What in the world are you talking about?

Nobody with any kind of clue is actually thinking Mason did this on purpose to spite Berube, that's just baseless speculation with zero to back it up. People are just saying that because they wish it were true, not because there's any reason to think it is.

How about waiting until there's even the tiniest little shred of evidence to back that up before criticizing Mason?

But wait a second.

Mason himself said he was not feeling well thru the day. He then used the word "we" when he said we would give it a try during warmup.

Yet Emery and Berube said they knew nothing about Mason not feeling well until he pulled himself.

So who is telling the truth?

And I hate Berube the coach. But if Mason was not feeling well....those are 2 people that should know as soon as possible.

As for Berube after the game ignoring Mason, that's Berube being an idiot and a further reason to be let go.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

be pretty hard pressed to think Mason walked around all day before the game not feeling well, and no one noticed or picked up on it..

im callin ******** on Berube... that ********* needs to go in the worst possible way.

 

[Sawdalite]

That's exactly what he did.... that's why Reese isn't here right now. They had an issue so it's easier to just have Reese leave for a couple weeks than fire Berube over their argument and be forced to find a new coach before they're ready to take their time and get the right guy. Is it Hextall's fault that Serevalli was watching Berube and Mason get on the bus? He did what he could do right now, he can't babysit every player and staff member 24/7 and make sure they act like adults. Again, nothing has changed, Berube will be gone soon enough and this won't be an issue anymore.

Not saying that Berube should be canned before the Season's over... but if it is hurting the Team going forward, then he could insert an interim coach to play out the string and take as much tie as he wants in deciding on the next coach... There are many people who can step in, such as assistant coaches or other people in the Organization... or as somebody suggested Homer could step in. If Hextall had any experience in coaching he could even step in and get a first hand looksee on the situation and the players.

In any event, Hexy didn't need to make a hasty decision on the future... but could if need be put out a smoldering fire... Not saying that he should though; it depends on what is actually going on behind the scenes.

 

[Striiker]

But wait a second.

Mason himself said he was not feeling well thru the day. He then used the word "we" when he said we would give it a try during warmup.

Yet Emery and Berube said they knew nothing about Mason not feeling well until he pulled himself.

So who is telling the truth?

And I hate Berube the coach. But if Mason was not feeling well....those are 2 people that should know as soon as possible.

As for Berube after the game ignoring Mason, that's Berube being an idiot and a further reason to be let go.

There are millions of different ways a story can be told to make it seems one of a thousand ways, I'm not going to get on him based on incomplete information that doesn't even make sense to begin with. For all we know, and this is the most likely scenario, neither of them are lying and it's a misunderstanding or a case of someone being stupid, not deliberate misinformation. I'm not going to jump to conclusions either way and I'd encourage others to be smart enough to do the same.

 

[Striiker]

Not saying that Berube should be canned before the Season's over... but if it is hurting the Team going forward, then he could insert an interim coach to play out the string and take as much tie as he wants in deciding on the next coach... There are many people who can step in, such as assistant coaches or other people in the Organization... or as somebody suggested Homer could step in. If Hextall had any experience in coaching he could even step in and get a first hand looksee on the situation and the players.

In any event, Hexy didn't need to make a hasty decision on the future... but could if need be put out a smoldering fire... Not saying that he should though; it depends on what is actually going on behind the scenes.

But how is he actually hurting the future of the team, other than making them lose games? He's not doing anything that's going to carry over once he gets kicked out. The whole "ruining Masons confidence" stuff is all just stuff people are saying out of frustration, not something we're seeing. If Mason is weak minded enough to be mentally ruined by a coach pulling him out of a game then he's just a ticking timebomb anyway.

 

[Dirty but Good]

But how is he actually hurting the future of the team, other than making them lose games? He's not doing anything that's going to carry over once he gets kicked out. The whole "ruining Masons confidence" stuff is all just stuff people are saying out of frustration, not something we're seeing. If Mason is weak minded enough to be mentally ruined by a coach pulling him out of a game then he's just a ticking timebomb anyway.

I completely agree with this. Berube isn't damaging this team, if anything he is a common enemy that can unite everyone. As far as this season goes there's really nothing to lose keeping him.

 

[Sawdalite]

But how is he actually hurting the future of the team, other than making them lose games? He's not doing anything that's going to carry over once he gets kicked out. The whole "ruining Masons confidence" stuff is all just stuff people are saying out of frustration, not something we're seeing. If Mason is weak minded enough to be mentally ruined by a coach pulling him out of a game then he's just a ticking timebomb anyway.

I'm not saying that he is... just IF he is.

That said, you are looking at it differently that what I was thing about and suggesting... I was lore on the lines of internal problems that could hurt the Team. For example; if Mason sours on the Organization and rather than view the Flyers as the Team that helped him get back on track and showed faith in him, he now views the Organization as one that didn't back him up and wrongfully fired his friend Reese who was good for the Goalies on the Team... and did not take his side with Berube as he wronged him... and maybe the belief that the Flyers were Goalie killers had a lot of merit. What if Mason decided that he wanted out... or took a Bryz stance and became a head case that is not unusual in the position.

Another example is if Berube is butting heads with players and those players as well as their teammates do not take it very well and feel that they have not been supported... and think twice about staying here if Hextall will not take their sides... What if that is the deciding factor with White and VV signing elsewhere?

Those were but a couple of things I was thinking about... I keep reminding myself that as the Organizations more and more look on the NHL as a Business, the players keep losing more and more loyalty to the Organization. I honestly feel that Snider and the Flyers hold true to the 'Family' aspect, but are slipping away into a business more and more each Season... and the Family aspect also can hurt them with the players at times when the Family Members are Management.

Again... I believe that the decision on when to can Berube has to depend on what is going on behind closed doors... Personally I have no problem with waiting, as long as there are no residual effects to any battles continuing these next two weeks... If there is, he has ti stop the bleeding and do it as quickly as possible.

 

[Sawdalite]

I completely agree with this. Berube isn't damaging this team, if anything he is a common enemy that can unite everyone. As far as this season goes there's really nothing to lose keeping him.

But possibly a common enemy that Hextall is supporting... like when he fired Reese?

 

[Striiker]

I'm not saying that he is... just IF he is.

That said, you are looking at it differently that what I was thing about and suggesting... I was lore on the lines of internal problems that could hurt the Team. For example; if Mason sours on the Organization and rather than view the Flyers as the Team that helped him get back on track and showed faith in him, he now views the Organization as one that didn't back him up and wrongfully fired his friend Reese who was good for the Goalies on the Team... and did not take his side with Berube as he wronged him... and maybe the belief that the Flyers were Goalie killers had a lot of merit. What if Mason decided that he wanted out... or took a Bryz stance and became a head case that is not unusual in the position.

Another example is if Berube is butting heads with players and those players as well as their teammates do not take it very well and feel that they have not been supported... and think twice about staying here if Hextall will not take their sides... What if that is the deciding factor with White and VV signing elsewhere?

Those were but a couple of things I was thinking about... I keep reminding myself that as the Organizations more and more look on the NHL as a Business, the players keep losing more and more loyalty to the Organization. I honestly feel that Snider and the Flyers hold true to the 'Family' aspect, but are slipping away into a business more and more each Season... and the Family aspect also can hurt them with the players at times when the Family Members are Management.

Again... I believe that the decision on when to can Berube has to depend on what is going on behind closed doors... Personally I have no problem with waiting, as long as there are no residual effects to any battles continuing these next two weeks... If there is, he has ti stop the bleeding and do it as quickly as possible.

Well I'd hope/assume Masons smart enough to not think like that. Especially if he sees Berube get fired this offseason, he'd probably see that as a clear as day example of the management disagreeing with what Berube's done to the team and Mason himself.

Everything will be settled this offseason, if he gets fired then there's no issue and Mason won't have any reason to complain.

If he's not fired (which I'd give a 0.00000001% chance because I have faith that Hextall isn't the dumbest person on the planet) then the organization is ****ed anyway and Mason might as well leave because we're not winning **** until Berube's gone. We'd have bigger issues than losing Mason if that's the case.

 

[blinds]

Ahh, wouldn't be the Flyers without goaltender controversy. Fun times.

 

[renberg]

We do know that Mason was ill. Seravelli can vouch for that. He also can vouch for the fact that Mason approached Berube and was blown off when they were getting on the bus. Mason most likely was sick and attempting to make a go of it last night but couldn't do it. Pulled out and sat the first period in the locker room; then came back for the rest of the game. He didn't bsil for the rest of the night.
Goalies are different. They are part of the team but often work quite separately from the rest of the guys. They work with basically one coach. Mase and Reese had a close relationship and Mase probably wasn't that tight with anyone else on the coaching staff. He was ill, went to Berube and was rebuked. He didn't have Reese around to advocate for him with the HC. That's all on Berube.
Let's not forget that Berube has tossed G and Voracek under the bus over the last few weeks. Umberger was given no slack while he was playing with rather serious injuries. Whether it is deserved or not, Vinny has been given a terrible ride this season. MDZ spent a curious stretch in the press box. The list goes on of players that have been slagged by Berube this season. There are better ways to prod players than the techniques used by Berube.

 

[Curufinwe]

Like someone here said, Berube fancies himself as a Julien-style hardass but he doesn't have the record or the intelligence to back it up.

 

[Sawdalite]

We do know that Mason was ill. Seravelli can vouch for that. He also can vouch for the fact that Mason approached Berube and was blown off when they were getting on the bus. Mason most likely was sick and attempting to make a go of it last night but couldn't do it. Pulled out and sat the first period in the locker room; then came back for the rest of the game. He didn't bsil for the rest of the night.
Goalies are different. They are part of the team but often work quite separately from the rest of the guys. They work with basically one coach. Mase and Reese had a close relationship and Mase probably wasn't that tight with anyone else on the coaching staff. He was ill, went to Berube and was rebuked. He didn't have Reese around to advocate for him with the HC. That's all on Berube.
Let's not forget that Berube has tossed G and Voracek under the bus over the last few weeks. Umberger was given no slack while he was playing with rather serious injuries. Whether it is deserved or not, Vinny has been given a terrible ride this season. MDZ spent a curious stretch in the press box. The list goes on of players that have been slagged by Berube this season. There are better ways to prod players than the techniques used by Berube.

Not going to argue with just about everything you said on Berube here... but I have to point out that last night Mason 'said' he was sick, but didn't go into detail as he said that he is no doctor... From what I understand there is nothing from the medical staff on this and we must take Mason on his word... or not.

As for Seravalli... he freely says that he was going on body language:

"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."

So I think we can safely say that he heard nothing and was going by what he saw at a distance... I honestly don't know how a beat writer can write an entire article based on something like that with the intention of leading us on a path that may or may not be accurate... For all we know Berube may have said to him; "Excuse me, please let me get back to you as soon as I can... I want to get on the bus and return a call to my wife who left me a message that my cat swallowed the remote control and she doesn't know how to change the channel... and doesn't want to watch Morganti bash you on the Postgame Show"

 

[lancer247]

But how is he actually hurting the future of the team, other than making them lose games? He's not doing anything that's going to carry over once he gets kicked out. The whole "ruining Masons confidence" stuff is all just stuff people are saying out of frustration, not something we're seeing. If Mason is weak minded enough to be mentally ruined by a coach pulling him out of a game then he's just a ticking timebomb anyway.

Agreed.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

Not going to argue with just about everything you said on Berube here... but I have to point out that last night Mason 'said' he was sick, but didn't go into detail as he said that he is no doctor... From what I understand there is nothing from the medical staff on this and we must take Mason on his word... or not.

As for Seravalli... he freely says that he was going on body language:



So I think we can safely say that he heard nothing and was going by what he saw at a distance... I honestly don't know how a beat writer can write an entire article based on something like that with the intention of leading us on a path that may or may not be accurate... For all we know Berube may have said to him; "Excuse me, please let me get back to you as soon as I can... I want to get on the bus and return a call to my wife who left me a message that my cat swallowed the remote control and she doesn't know how to change the channel... and doesn't want to watch Morganti bash you on the Postgame Show"

watch Berubes after game presser.

you can see his face reactions and the tone of his voice when asked questions about mason..

**** this guy...i cant wait to celebrate when i hear hes fired

 

[Sawdalite]

watch Berubes after game presser.

you can see his face reactions and the tone of his voice when asked questions about mason..

**** this guy...i cant wait to celebrate when i hear hes fired

Chief's an odd bird... and especially after losses... He has an annoyed or condescending face on almost always -- since you want the coach to hate losing, some of that can be excused, I suppose -- I know he wasn't very happy and I assume that each loss here is yet another nail in his coffin... and he has to know that. But all that said, that still doesn't give the Beat Writer from Philly's second largest paper to assume things by body language from ouside of hearing range.

Personally I was even more upset with the previous loss when he spoke of his quick pull of Mason... and pretty much toss him under the bus... this, after the Season Mason has given him where he played great and was not supported by Berube's System... and a Season where he played through more than one injury.

Any support Chief may have had from me early in his tenure has completely forgotten... The Team can get nothing but better under a new coach.

 

[Sombastate]

I don't know if Mason actually ghosted him. He could have absolutely said something like "let me get back to you"

 

[usahockey22flyers]

Who knows? It's not like the reporter heard any words, this is just an article to stir **** around.

 

[flyguy]

Who knows? It's not like the reporter heard any words, this is just an article to stir **** around.

This is thing that pisses me off. That the "controversy" is at the media level. When it gets to this level, that's when things sour between a player and an organization big time. And then often the organization makes moves they shouldn't. I can't help but think if Hextall handles the Reese situation better, then this type of assumptuous action doesn't become a story to begin with.

 

[renberg]

Is anyone else concerned that this flap gets to be too big of a thing? That the result will be Mason being moved in the off season? Reese is already gone. Now things look like Mason vs. Berube. Based on what went down with Reese and the way that Berube is interacting with Mason, I'd say that there's a good chance that Mason is out of here during the summer. Management usually doesn't like it when employees show them up.

 

[Striiker]

Not worried at all because I have common sense and I don't overreact to every bit of news.

No, Mason won't get moved, that's not even close to being a realistic fear.

 

[YEM]

That the result will be Mason being moved in the off season?

Based on what went down with Reese and the way that Berube is interacting with Mason, I'd say that there's a good chance that Mason is out of here during the summer. Management usually doesn't like it when employees show them up.

I'm much more worried that Mase himself requests to be moved, rather than the team actively shopping him/trading him.

 

[flyershockey]

Is anyone else concerned that this flap gets to be too big of a thing? That the result will be Mason being moved in the off season? Reese is already gone. Now things look like Mason vs. Berube. Based on what went down with Reese and the way that Berube is interacting with Mason, I'd say that there's a good chance that Mason is out of here during the summer. Management usually doesn't like it when employees show them up.

Management dislikes when their employees underperform even more. Mason has exceeded every expectation since coming to Philly, and looks to be the answer to a 20 year organizational problem. Berube might be the worst coach in franchise history. Not hard to figure out who they'll side with.

 

[renberg]

Management dislikes when their employees underperform even more. Mason has exceeded every expectation since coming to Philly, and looks to be the answer to a 20 year organizational problem. Berube might be the worst coach in franchise history. Not hard to figure out who they'll side with.

Common sense says that what you say is true regarding Mason and his performance. However Berube is here with no indication from TPTB that they're unhappy with him and Reese is gone.

 

[Mylec 22]

In all the years I've been watching Flyers hockey, since I was 5 or 6, and even after some of those seasons that were pretty horrible, I have never even considered saying the following:

This season can't end soon enough!