Steve Mason ‘a little rusty' in first game since surgery

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TORONTO -- Following a 20-minute, off-day workout on Wednesday afternoon in Toronto, goaltender Steve Mason lamented the fact he felt like he hadn’t skated in two weeks.

The 26-year-old had missed eight games after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

His target was to return Saturday night when the Flyers open up a three-game homestand against the New York Rangers. However, after Rob Zepp allowed two goals on the game’s first eight shots Thursday night in Toronto (see game story), coach Craig Berube felt his team needed a spark and threw Mason into the fire.

“Obviously caught a little off guard, but at the same time, try to get a little bit more of a spark,” said Mason, who allowed one goal on nine shots in relief. “I think the team was playing well. We were creating a lot of chances, but any time you have a change in goal it definitely changes the momentum.

“Overall I thought we had a really strong game and deserved a better fate tonight.”

Part of the issue for Mason in the 3-2 loss to the Leafs was the lack of action.

He entered the game 5:33 into the second period and faced just one shot in the final 14:27 of the period.

Dion Phaneuf scored the eventual game-winner on the Leafs’ first shot of the third.

“A little rusty,” said Mason of how he felt in the nearly 25 minutes of work he got Thursday. “We didn’t give up much either. It was a really sound defensive effort tonight and me not getting shots, especially when you’ve been off for almost three weeks coming up … it was tough to get into the game, but got it out of the way.

“It's difficult because you want to feel the puck and start feeling good. When you’re not getting a lot of shots, some times you overthink things. I thought everything went alright.”

In an effort to get engaged in the game, Mason took exception with a late slash from Leafs center Peter Holland midway through the third period. Mason slashed Holland back and a melee ensued.

“I covered the puck up and it was kind of a little late slash,” he said. “That was part of me trying to get back into the game. I wasn’t worried about the knee or anything like that.

“Just trying to get myself feeling like I was back into the game. A little skirmish never hurts.”

Mason, who now sports an 11-13-7 record to go along with a 2.26 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage in 35 games this season, spent a lengthy period on the training table receiving treatment on his knee after the game.

He said the “knee feels OK right now," but that regular treatment would be required “just to keep on top of things” going forward.

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