Mason, Giroux in Flyers' lineup vs. Jets; 'Ghost' is Masterton nominee

Steve Mason will make his 11th start in 12 games and star center Claude Giroux will be in the lineup when the Flyers host Winnipeg on Monday night.

Yes, it's a critcal game for the Flyers. They all are at this point in the season.

The Flyers, who are starting a three-game homestand, are tied with Detroit for the final wild-card spot. The Flyers have eight games left; the Red Wings have seven.

Late in Saturday's 2-1 loss in Arizona, Giroux looked dazed as he left the game with 2 minutes, 15 seconds left. The center's head appeared to hit the wall after a hit by Martin Hanzal.

"I was a little shaken up, but (after) getting the rest, I feel pretty good," Giroux said after watching Monday's morning skate at the Wells Fargo Center. "...I feel fine. I don't think there was a question of me playing tonight or not."

Giroux went through the concussion protocol and was examined by a doctor after the game. He had missed three games last month with a concussion.

The Flyers captain said he will ready tonight and will not be gun-shy because of Saturday's injury. Giroux leads the Flyers with 62 points, and has 33 points in his last 33 games.

On the flip side, the Giroux-anchored first power-play unit hasn't scored since Feb. 29, and the unit will have a chance to get untracked against the Jets, who are ranked 25th out of 30 teams in the penalty kill.

The Flyers ended a seven-game power-play drought in their 3-0 win in Winnipeg on Nov. 7. Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds had power-play goals in that game, and Matt Read added an empty-net score.

"We're aware we need to step it up here," Giroux said of the first power-play unit. "We're getting frustrated, I think. If we don't score on the power play, we get back to the bench and we're frustrated, but we just need to find the confidence."

Mason will face a Jets team that is 14-20-3 on the road and has been eliminated from the playoff race.

"They have some big bodies, and every time we play them it's a physical game, and they have a lot of speed, also," Giroux said. "It's going to be important for us to make sure we move our feet tonight."

Mason is 4-0-1 in his career against Winnipeg and has a 1.11 goals-against average and .963 save percentage.

Michal Neuvirth blanked the Jets in the teams' early-season game. Neuvirth will miss the rest of the regular season with a knee injury.

Ghost nominated. Rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was the Flyers' nominee  for the 2016 Bill Masterton Trophy, based on a vote by the Philadelphia chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

The award is given to the NHL player who best exemplifies  perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Gostisbehere missed most of last season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for the Phantoms. He has been one of the NHL's premier rookies this year, collecting 16 goals and 41 points in 56 games and setting several records.

"It's a big injury for anybody, especially for a young guy who didn't have much professional hockey experience," said Flyers assistant Ian Laperriere, who won the Masterton in 2011. "To come back the way he did this year and help us out, it's amazing. ... He's a big reason why we're in the hunt right now."

Gostisbehere thanked the Flyers' orthopedic surgeon, Peter DeLuca, as well as the team's medical staff, his family, friends, and girlfriend for helping him during his rehab.

"I had a great support system around me," he said, adding that the recovery was "absolutely" the biggest challenge of his career. "It could have gone a lot of different ways, and it affected me positively."

Jets' starter. Ondrej Pavelec will start in goal for Winnipeg. Pavelec is 10-13-2 with a 2.72 GAA and .907 save percentage. In his career against the Flyers, he is 7-5-2 with a 3.13 GAA and .906 save percentage.