Flyers' Neuvirth replacing sizzling Mason against Leafs
TORONTO - In a mild surprise, Flyers goalie Michal Neuvirth started Thursday night's critical matchup in Toronto.
Neuvirth replaced the sizzling Steve Mason, who was 3-0-1 with a 1.45 goals-against average and .945 save percentage in the Flyers' previous four games.
"I think the schedule dictates it," coach Dave Hakstol said before the game. "Mase has been real good and has done a great job for us. Neuvy has to do the same thing for us. If you look at the schedule for us, one guy isn't going to be able to run the table all the way through."
The Flyers have 16 games remaining.
It was Neuvirth's first appearance since a shaky performance in a 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh at Heinz Field on Feb. 25. It was also his first game since signing a two-year contract extension for a total of $5 million.
"You have to be ready for every opportunity you get," Neuvirth said Thursday after the morning skate at the Air Canada Centre.
Mason was shelled in a 6-3 loss in Toronto on Nov. 11, while Neuvirth beat the Leafs, 2-1, on Jan. 26 at the Wells Fargo Center.
Neuvirth had better career numbers against the Leafs (9-4-1, 2.83 GAA, .901 save percentage) than Mason (4-6-2, 3.43, .876).
Hakstol said "you try to factor some of those things into it, but that wasn't the dominant factor in Neuvy getting the start" against the high-scoring Leafs.
No thanks
Center Valtteri Filppula nixed a trade to Toronto before the Flyers acquired him from Tampa Bay on March 1.
Toronto coach Mike Babcock coached Filppula in Detroit and wanted him again.
Filppula was honored. He respects Babcock. But he felt he was a better fit with the Flyers, so he did not add the Maple Leafs to the list of 16 teams to which he would agree to be dealt.
"I had made a list earlier and just decided to stick with the list," Filppula said before the game. "I think everything at the trade deadline comes at you really quick. When you do those things [in the summer], you have a little bit more time to think about things.
"So I just wanted to stick with that."
Before the game, Babcock praised Filppula, calling him a "good pro" and saying he helped give the Flyers four balanced lines. "He's a real good skater, can play with and without the puck, and distributes it well," Babcock said.
Breakaways
Entering the night, Claude Giroux was tied for second in the NHL in power-play points (26) and power-play assists (21). . . . Ivan Provorov was averaging 21 minutes, 42 seconds per game entering Thursday and could break the franchise's rookie record (Braydon Coburn, 20:58 in 2006-07) for average time on ice.
