VOORHEES — Skin was still peeling on Steve Mason’s nose from the sun he got in the Bahamas. Instead of sunscreen, it was protected by a goalie mask for the first time in nearly two weeks.

Mason had spent the first part of his break down south with some friends before spending some time with family in his hometown of Oakville, Ontario.

Wednesday was a splash of reality as the Flyers resumed practicing for the first time since the NHL broke its schedule for the Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

“This week of practice is going to be extremely important to make sure we’re utilizing the time that we have,” the goalie said. “Today was a good first step.”

It was a lot of skating drills, like most other practices under Craig Berube this season. But for Mason, this week will be a bit different. If the Flyers are going to put a run together to not only get back to the playoffs, but make noise in the postseason as well, Mason will be a huge reason why.

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