Flyers goalie Mason aims to play at least 60 games this season

Steve Mason, who quietly emerged as one of the NHL’s best goalies last season, says he is ready to carry the load after knee and back injuries contributed to his playing just 51 games in 2014-15.

Speaking after an on-ice workout Wednesday in Voorhees, N.J., Mason said his goal was to “play as many games as I can. I don’t want to put a specific number on it, but you look at the top tier of games played for goalies last year, they’re in their 60s, and Braden Holtby had 1/8733/8, which is a lot of hockey, but if I’m healthy and playing well, then obviously you want to be playing a lot.”

Pressed on it, Mason said he hopes to play 60-plus games.

“If the health is there and the consistency in my game is there,” he said, “I don’t see why there would be an issue why I shouldn’t be playing that.”

Mason was one of many Flyers veterans on the ice Wednesday two days before camp officially opens. He had 60 percent of the meniscus removed from his right knee during surgery on Feb. 10 and returned to the lineup on Feb. 26.

“Last year was frustrating in the sense that it took a while to finally find out the problem,” he said of his knee injury. “Over the course of this summer, I tried to limit the impact-type of training the jumping and running just to try to kind of preserve the knee a little bit, since there is a little bit less meniscus in there than the average knee. Other than that, it was business as usual. I was able to do everything I needed to do to prepare for this new season, and knock on wood it’s going to be healthy one.”

In July, Mason spent some time with new goalie coach Kim Dillabaugh, and the two have been working together during the last two weeks.

The Flyers upgraded their backup goalie position by signing free-agent Michal Neuvirth in the offseason.

“I played against Michal in the OHL for three years; he’s got a ton of talent,” Mason said. “We’re the same age bracket” both are 27 “and I think it’s going to be good to push one another, but my goal is to play as many games as I can.”

The Flyers are trying to rebound from a 33-31-18 season.

“Any time you don’t make the playoffs, you’re in for a long summer,” Mason said. “We’ve had some change within the organization. I think it just gives everyone a sense of freshness around here. We all have a clean slate to work with, with a new coach. The goaltenders have a new goalie coach. We have a lot to look forward to coming into this new season. ... We just have to make sure we have a good start.”

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