Bombastik der Teutone Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Nice read about Steve Mason 1 Year after he was dealt to the Flyers... http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=712586&navid=nhl:topheads Steve Mason says he was ready to walk away from hockey. The game he'd loved since childhood had become a chore. As the conclusion of the 2012-13 season approached, Mason was at a crossroads. Tossing his goalie pads in the trash seemed like the best, perhaps only, course of action. "My mind was so beat up that I truly did not enjoy playing hockey anymore," Mason told NHL.com. "It had definitely crossed my mind to consider other options. I was just so beat up mentally that hockey was becoming more of a chore than a passion and something that was fun. … I hadn't thought about what I'd do, but it definitely crossed my mind to hang the pads up and focus on other aspects of life because hockey was something that was making life not enjoyable." STEVE MASON GOALIE - PHI RECORD: 31-17-7 GAA: 2.53 | SVP: 0.916 One year later, Mason's angst is a distant memory. His smile is omnipresent and the pads he was ready to trash have earned him his second 30-win season. He's virtually assured of making his second trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and he has a three-year contract extension with the Philadelphia Flyersthat starts in July. "It's been pretty much an entire year since I've been here," Mason said. "I've enjoyed every second of it. It's nice to be back having fun playing hockey, being part of an organization that has such a rich history and an organization you're proud to be part of. When you're having fun, time goes by even quicker." Thursday, Mason will celebrate the one-year anniversary of his arrival in Philadelphia. Coincidentally, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team that traded Mason to Philadelphia, will be the opposition. To fully appreciate where Mason is now, you have to understand where he was. A third-round pick of the Blue Jackets in 2006, Mason made it to the NHL early in the 2008-09 season, after a three-game apprenticeship in the American Hockey League. A magical rookie run followed: 33 wins, a League-leading 10 shutouts and a 2.29 goals-against average that was second in the League. The Blue Jackets made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history; Mason won the Calder Trophy and finished second in voting for the Vezina Trophy. Everything may have gone right in 2008-09, but it all went wrong the next season when Mason finished with 13 fewer wins and a 3.06 GAA. The Blue Jackets sank to 14th in the Western Conference. It was the start of a precipitous decline for Mason. He won more games than he lost once in four seasons after his rookie run, and the only season he had a GAA of less than 3.00 was his 13-game stint as a backup in 2012-13. "When one thing goes wrong and another, it's a snowball effect where it gets to the point where you're trying so hard to recover you're spinning your tires and not going anywhere," he said. "It was an extremely difficult and humbling and depressing time all mixed into one long couple years there." Mason was overwhelmed by the losing and fell into what he called "some dark places." "Mentally, emotionally, it was really wearing on me," he said. Mason consulted with a sports psychologist but said he found it difficult to share his emotions with a stranger. He realized the only thing that likely would help was leaving Columbus. "Probably a year or two before the trade actually happened it was probably time for a change of scenery and a fresh start," he said. Mason said he never asked for a trade. He knew he would reach restricted free agency after the 2012-13 season and doubted Columbus would give him the qualifying offer necessary to retain his rights. With the 2013 NHL Trade Deadline approaching, Mason knew his time in Columbus was nearing an end. What was next, though, was a question. He knew a few teams were showing interest but wouldn't put too much faith in anything happening. On April 3, the day of the trade deadline, Mason received the opportunity he craved via a phone call from his agent, Anton Thun. "He had mentioned that the Flyers were one of a few teams interested in potentially making a trade," Mason said. "On trade-deadline day they had a deal in place and he just wanted to see if I was OK with it, and I was 100 percent ready for it. I was on a plane in a couple hours after the trade." Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren had been intrigued by Mason since watching him during Mason's draft year with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. Holmgren, GM of the Flyers since 2006, had watched one goaltender after another slide in and out of his team's starting job and saw the pattern repeating itself at the end of the 2012-13 season.Ilya Bryzgalov, signed to a lucrative free-agent contract two years earlier, had worn out his welcome. Holmgren and Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen agreed on a trade that would bring Mason to Philadelphia in exchange for goaltender Michael Leighton and a third-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. "We'd always liked Steve," Holmgren told NHL.com. "He was a young guy that had success, and for whatever reason it slipped away from him." Upon pulling on a Flyers jersey, Mason felt a better grip on his game, and his life. "You have a new sense of excitement about being in a new organization, working with a new coach, new players on your team," he said. "As soon as the trade went through I had a thousand pounds lifted off my back and my brain. It's hard to explain the sense of relief." Flyers forward Jakub Voracek, who had been a teammate of Mason's in Columbus, noticed the change immediately. "Right away when he got traded you could see the fire in his eyes," Voracek said. "When I saw him the first time [with the Flyers], it was like he got released from prison. He was excited to play hockey." The partnership with goaltending coach Jeff Reese also helped. Reese made changes to Mason's game, among them moving Mason deeper in the crease, especially off the rush, to better make use of Mason's 6-foot-4 frame. But more than technical adjustments, Reese helped ease Mason's mind. "A lot of me feeling better was [Reese] expressing confidence from him and the coaching staff and the management here in me," Mason said. "That's not something I felt for a long time. For an organization of this magnitude to come in and say we believe in you after the couple years I had struggled said a lot to me personally." So much so that Mason made a calculated gamble, signing a one-year, $1.5 million contract, representing a pay cut of nearly 50 percent, a week after his arrival. Mason, 25, believed he could be a No. 1 goalie again, especially after receiving a preseason vote of confidence from then-coach Peter Laviolette. "Being a No. 1 goalie in this League is not an easy task," Mason said. "Having the success in the first year I think was probably a bad thing because I thought it was going to come just like that and it didn't. Now that I'm almost 26 and I have all those years of experience, I know what it takes night in and night out and day in and day out to prepare myself and be ready for a 60-plus game workload to be a No. 1 goalie." After starting the 2013-14 season splitting starts with Ray Emery, Mason has emerged as the clear No. 1. He has reached 30 wins for the first time since his rookie season, his .916 save percentage matches his figure from that rookie season, and his 2.53 GAA is the best he's had since his first season. Mason was rewarded for his progress on Jan. 18 when he received a three-year contract extension. Mason is quick to credit Reese for much of the improvement, but the goalie coach says the change is a function of different scenery. "The biggest thing was for him to get out of Columbus," Reese said. "This guy always had the talent, he always had skill, he can move well for a big guy, very athletic, handles the puck, has a great glove hand. You knew there was something there. That's the biggest difference, him getting out of there and getting to a new place where people believed in him again." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuck2xtreme Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 FC Watch: The Rangers are still living on the edge with some Future Considerations. If Jimmy Hayes does not play in all 15 remaining Florida Panthers games, the Rangers will get Minnesota's 2015 3rd round pick. This assumes Jack Skille won't be recalled from the minors this year. Over at the Chad Johnston front, If Chad plays in 30 NHL games between the start of the 2013 season, and the 13-14 season combined, then Colorado gets NYR's 3rd round pick in 2014. Chad has surprised most but not GM P.O. and played in an amazing 20 games so far this year with a 13-3-1 record. Add on his 4 games from last season, and wow: if he plays in another 6 games of roughly 16 remaining it is bye bye pick of mine. Intriguing turn of events! Chad Johnson to start tonight, I believe that puts him one game away from 30? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Optimist Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Chad Johnson to start tonight, I believe that puts him one game away from 30?It is bitter sweet, I am so glad i found a gem in the rough and that hockey life turned back rightside up for this guy!!! he never got a good shot after the shelacking he suffered in net for New York where he let in i think 6 goals a few years back...then he gets a callup in Phoenix and played lights out for four games!!!!! Now look at him? Except that I traded him away, and didn't expect him to pass the overunder that I set. It appears he is on the brink now!! Bitter Sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Optimist Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 PC Gamer checking in. I custom built my PC for games and I could never ever go back to anything else.Steam is incredible, I have about 70+ games I've bought and never played because they cost me PENNIES. "Hey, I probably won't play this, but it's £3.75 and 70% off. I can't pass that up!" Games run better on PC, look better on PC, PC allows for mods. Skyrim on console = good game. Skyrim on PC = Freaking awesome game because the mods are nuts. So much more customisation and freedom. (Also, fyi, multiple monitors is the way to go people). And yes, GOAT simulator is literally a simulation of a goat, but you can blow things up. EDIT: Oh and PO as a MMO player myself I love them. I'm a guild wars 2 fanboy myself though. Never got into WoW. I've dabbled in the last beta for Wildstar, and my friends are hooked and have pre purchased. They swear down it's the best game they've ever played, that there's so much to do and it's nuts for min-maxers. But then they said all those things about gw2 as well and they stopped playing after a year, so...yeah. The thing about Wildstar is the payment model. If you play enough you can pay the subscription without needing real money, but I'm not convinced I'd play enough and I don't want to pay £40 for a game and then £10 a month.My wife and I are having our 17th anniversary this May, wow indeed....but when we were dating she beat Golden Axe with one quarter....and I knew I must marry this woman! She has played everquest right up through wow, and the failed ones too....conan, star wars...some others in the MMO catagory, and she thinks Wildstar is really infectious too, she pre-ordered. I have not yet but I will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombastik der Teutone Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Damn it....missed 2 PPA´s from Chris Terry ..but nice that he finally scored some Points. hope thats a good sign for next season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombastik der Teutone Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 St.Louis Blues Roster Moves Assignment: The Blues assign D Ben Chiarot to the Greenville Road Warriors Recall: The Blues recall F Chris Terry from the Greenville Road Warriors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ActionJax09 Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Assignment: The Pittsburgh Penguins assign Tye McGinn to Wilkes-Barre Scranton of the AHL Activation: The Pittsburgh Penguins activate Paul Martin for Injured Reserve. Stamkos Nugent-Hopkins Oshie Hall Johnson Marchand Killorn Trocheck Jurco Crombeen Boyle Beagle Orr Subban Timonen Martin Beauchemin Oduya Ranger Braun Rozsival Fleury Emery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azzy Mahmood Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Thanks to John-Michael Liles we are still chasing down those St Louis Blues. I think the Nashville Predators are now just beyond our reach but we remain hopeful of catching the Blues. What a final few weeks it's been! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombastik der Teutone Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Thanks to John-Michael Liles we are still chasing down those St Louis Blues. I think the Nashville Predators are now just beyond our reach but we remain hopeful of catching the Blues. What a final few weeks it's been! slowly ...i feel your breath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azzy Mahmood Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 slowly ...i feel your breath At Christmas it was a long-distance phone call with me breathing heavily down the phone...now I'm just around the corner and I'm breathing even harder. And as for this league, well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Optimist Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 o.O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Optimist Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Here is a sneak peak at the draft lotto rankings as of this morning...Penguins Hurricanes are still locked in a battle!130112321033249436315377463808738608392693968104057114104124240134345144476------------------------------------------------------------------------------34483 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Optimist Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Washington may not be seated at the table just yet, but it is proving inevitable. Carolina and Pittsburgh are still working hard to bump the Caps down to wildcard status or possibly out of the playoffs...this is really getting close and down to the wire!I also really want to point out just how tough the Metro Division is right now: The 6th place team out of 7 in the division is only 218 points out of a playoff spot right nowwith 5 or 6 games to go!ATLANTIC1 Florida Panthers 5372 Z2 Ottawa Senators 5032 X3 Boston Bruins 4865 XMETROPOLITAN1 New Jersey Devils 5166 Y2 New York Rangers 4756 X3 Washington Capitals 4563WILD CARD1 Buffalo Sabres 4745 X2 Pittsburgh Penguins 44833 Carolina Hurricanes 44764 New York Islanders 43455 Detroit Redwings 42406 Tampa Bay Lightning 41047 Toronto Maple Leafs 40578 Montreal Canadiens 39689 Philadelphia Flyers 3631CENTRAL1 Minnesota Wild 4832 Y2 Winnipeg Jets 4633 X3 Chicago Blackhawks 4235 XPACIFIC1 Los Angeles Kings 5308 Z2 San Jose Sharks 4738 X3 Phoenix Coyotes 4706 XWILD CARD1 Vancouver Canucks 4581 X2 Edmonton Oilers 4315 X3 Anaheim Ducks 39264 Colorado Avalanche 38605 Nashville Predators 38086 St Louis Blues 37747 Calgary Flames 32498 Dallas Stars 32109 Columbus Blue Jackets 3011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombastik der Teutone Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 fine ...Terry has been just re-assigned to the AHL IRL the past weeks has been pretty weak .....lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squeak Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Better catch SJ, so I can get home ice advantage....................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ActionJax09 Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 I am fighting for my playoff life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombastik der Teutone Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 I am fighting for my playoff life! i am fighting for Leon Draisaitl ...so my Team is not fighting ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
da.moose Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Getting Datsyuk back tonight!!! The Capitals have been struggling during an early April slump so hopefully Datsyuk's return serves as a boost to a team looking to return to the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
da.moose Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Washington Capitals Evander Kane - Pavel Datsyuk - Zack Kassian Patrik Elias - Kyle Turris - Andrew Cogliano Jakob Silfverberg - John Mitchell - Sam Gagner Richard Panik - Rob Klinkhammer - Justin Fontaine Keith Yandle - Tobias Enstrom Ryan Ellis - Jan Hejda Kyle Quincey - Sergei Gonchar Kari Lehtonen Thomas Greiss Scratches: Chris Porter, Simon Despres, Tim Erixon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombastik der Teutone Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 Chad Billins 1st Assist in the Blues Uniform Tonight..nice to see that we have some upcoming youngsters there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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