Proposal: Trade Mason

[1865]

Are people pretending Mason wasn't terrible in the playoffs?

I can't tell, you people are posting memes and trying to be funny.

The best argument against TJJ was "Mason is good compared to other historical Flyers goalies". That's great, except for different eras, and the fact the Flyers have been notorious for having poor goaltending outside of three goalies.

If you want to also blame the defense, that's great. But Mason was not on his game when he had to be on his game. It's that simple.

If you give Mason the same exact opportunity, do any of you have absolute faith he would be better?

Giroux was pretty terrible in this series too, does that change a damn thing about how incredible a player he is?

 

[Beef Invictus]

Nobody is claiming Mason was good. What people are objecting to is the notion that a couple games while he was obviously fatigued playing behind a complete dumpster fire of an injured team are not enough to cancel out his previous body of work, or justify trading him and returning to the goalie carousel of old.

 

[BillyStemhovilichski]

Giroux was pretty terrible in this series too, does that change a damn thing about how incredible a player he is?

Absolutely, is that a serious question?

 

[BillyStemhovilichski]

Nobody is claiming Mason was good. What people are objecting to is the notion that a couple games while he was obviously fatigued playing behind a complete dumpster fire of an injured team are not enough to cancel out his previous body of work, or justify trading him and returning to the goalie carousel of old.

So Mason has never been benched in favor of Neuvirth before?

And was he so overworked he couldn't stop a tip in from center ice? Because that was the back breaker.

The playoffs are much different than the regular season. It's a series under a microscope. When Mason is under it, he looks really bad.

 

[Curufinwe]

Mason had two bad playoff games. It's just not enough of a sample to panic over. No decision needs to be made on his long term future here until February.

 

[Curufinwe]

The playoffs are much different than the regular season. It's a series under a microscope. When Mason is under it, he looks really bad.

Then why did have a .939 SV% in the 13-14 playoffs?

 

[Petr Svoboda Mullet]

Giroux was pretty terrible in this series too, does that change a damn thing about how incredible a player he is?

Well G was injured, Mason was not. so yeah, it does make a difference in the situations.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Then why did have a .939 SV% in the 13-14 playoffs?

Nobody seems able to provide a suitable answer for this while criticizing the beat goalie we've had since Hextall 1.0.

 

[Curufinwe]

Well G was injured, so yeah, it does.

Mason was also playing with an injury.

 

[BillyStemhovilichski]

Then why did have a .939 SV% in the 13-14 playoffs?

You're absolutely right, he did put up good numbers that year.

He also played more games/minutes.

So is the excuse of him being "fatigued" valid?

 

[Beef Invictus]

You're absolutely right, he did put up good numbers that year.

He also played more games/minutes.

So is the excuse of him being "fatigued" valid?

He didn't play a huge chunk of games, including many back to backs, to end the season. The distribution of games played matters too.

 

[Striiker]

Reading arguments like this makes me wonder if some people watch any non-Flyers hockey at all.

It's as if they think that other players in the league are flawless and 100% consistent and that only Flyers players mess up at times (and when they do it's all over for them).

Or maybe it's just a general lack of common sense?

 

[BillyStemhovilichski]

He didn't play a huge chunk of games, including many back to backs, to end the season. The distribution of games played matters too.

I still see this as an excuse.

He was fine in those games and then dropped off when the playoffs hit. Fatigue doesn't set in overnight.

But no one answered my question: reverse time, Mason is the starter in Game 1 again. Do you have faith in him to be better than the first time around?

 

[BillyStemhovilichski]

Reading arguments like this makes me wonder if some people watch any non-Flyers hockey at all.

It's as if they think that other players in the league are flawless and 100% consistent and that only Flyers players mess up at times (and when they do it's all over for them).

Or maybe it's just a general lack of common sense?

Mason gave up the worst goal of the playoffs and regular season. Is that debatable?

No one thinks any player is infallible. I just have no faith in Mason. It's that simple.

 

[Beef Invictus]

I still see this as an excuse.

He was fine in those games and then dropped off when the playoffs hit. Fatigue doesn't set in overnight.

But no one answered my question: reverse time, Mason is the starter in Game 1 again. Do you have faith in him to be better than the first time around?

Not an excuse, a reason.


The dropoff was long in coming. One could clearly see he was gassed a couple weeks before the playoffs started. He was showing a lot of body language identical to Emery when he was finished. Slow to move, very slow to get up, often tweaking his groin and knee, his skating becoming less crisp. It built steadily to the playoffs, when the breaking point was obviously reached. He was tired mentally and physically, along with the small handful of other players who, along with Mason, were most crucial for hauling a roster that was half-anchor to the playoffs.


FWIW, that is my own major concern about Mason; his endurance and longevity. While it's still superior to Neuvirth's, I suspect Mason is better off with fewer starts compared to some other starting goalies out there.

 

[Curufinwe]

In 15-16 he made 17 starts in 36 days, then had four days off before the playoffs started.

In 13-14 he made 17 starts in 45 days, then had nine days off due to concussion before replacing Emery in game 4 against the Rangers.

 

[Striiker]

Mason gave up the worst goal of the playoffs and regular season. Is that debatable?

Nope, it was horrible.

So?

Does that bad goal cancel out everything else? Is he the only goalie to screw up?

This goal is just as bad, does it mean Brodeur was a bad goalie or that the Devils couldn't win with him?

 

[PALE PWNR]

So Mason has never been benched in favor of Neuvirth before?

And was he so overworked he couldn't stop a tip in from center ice? Because that was the back breaker.

The playoffs are much different than the regular season. It's a series under a microscope. When Mason is under it, he looks really bad.

It wasn't a back breaker. In the 3 games Mason was in net the Flyers scored 2 goals. Total.

And whats with all the revisionist history about how much Mason played down the stretch. Everyone and their mother knew that he was going to be exhausted by the Playoffs. Hell he looked exhausted a week before the playoffs. The run we made through February March and April was ridiculous. 26 games where we got a point out of 35. Neuvirth played 10 of those 35. Only 2 in March. Oilers game and Blackhawks. And then he played the Islanders AHL team in April in the last game. That's it. Mason started 17 of the last 19, 18 if you take out the meaningless Isles game. 4 Back to Backs in there. No goalies do that.

That stretch of Pittsburgh April 3rd, Detroit April 6th, Toronto April 7th. Mason looked beat. He looked like he was done.

 

[BillyStemhovilichski]

Not an excuse, a reason.


The dropoff was long in coming. One could clearly see he was gassed a couple weeks before the playoffs started. He was showing a lot of body language identical to Emery when he was finished. Slow to move, very slow to get up, often tweaking his groin and knee, his skating becoming less crisp. It built steadily to the playoffs.


FWIW, that is my own major concern about Mason; his endurance and longevity. While it's still superior to Neuvirth's, I suspect Mason is better off with fewer starts compared to some other starting goalies out there.

I agree with that. I'd add his mental conditioning as well, which has always been a major concern since his rookie to sophomore drop off.

All in all, I don't trust Mason as the starter to progress the Flyers. He's a good goalie, but considering the team in front of him, as well as his identified deficits, I don't see him as a goalie capable of a cup run in this organization.

 

[PALE PWNR]

I agree with that. I'd add his mental conditioning as well, which has always been a major concern since his rookie to sophomore drop off.

All in all, I don't trust Mason as the starter to progress the Flyers. He's a good goalie, but considering the team in front of him, as well as his identified deficits, I don't see him as a goalie capable of a cup run in this organization.

He looks more than capable. He played 2 fantastic MONTHS of playoff hockey just so we could make the playoffs. WTF am I reading here?

 

[Striiker]

Does anyone have a list of goalies that never ever mess up?

If so, we should try to get one of those guys. Seems like a goalie who never messes up would be preferable to one who's human.

 

[tade]

Nope, it was horrible.

So?

Does that bad goal cancel out everything else? Is he the only goalie to screw up?

This goal is just as bad, does it mean Brodeur was a bad goalie or that the Devils couldn't win with him?

Pretty much this. It's like one goal (even if really terrible) cancel the fact that Mason was one of the main reasons we were in the playoffs this season. We had to play a lot of games with approach similar to playoff games, at the end of the regular season and Mason was stellar in huge majority of those games.

We had no chance against the Caps, anyway. Not with injured Couturier, Giroux... Gostisbehere was also worn down after the tough, rookie season.

 

[BillyStemhovilichski]

Does anyone have a list of goalies that never ever mess up?

If so, we should try to get one of those guys. Seems like a goalie who never messes up would be preferable to one who's human.

Yeah, Mason let in that goal because he was "human".

That or fatigued. Or the defense was bad.

Couldn't have been because he just let in a softy at a time when the Flyers needed to win 1-goal games and he couldn't do it.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

what i find hilarous about this entire sbject matter is when Mase plays excellent for long strecths of time at a time, and there are lots of em.

all the guys who dislike Mason or have no faith, are quiet as a church mouse.

but when a bag goal or a loss happens they pipe up like that are Einstein... "hey look, see i told you he was garbage. shoulda started Neuvy."..

hahah

its like clockwork

 

[BillyStemhovilichski]

Where did I say it was Mason?

Why would you be making excuses for a goalie that was at the top of his game?