Steve Mason will start in net Thursday for the Flyers' opener against the Lightning

Mason will start in net Thursday for the Flyers' opener against the Lightning, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Analysis:

Mason remains the leading netminder for Philadelphia heading into 2015-16, and considering Michal Neuvirth remains sidelined with a lower-body injury, it seemed inevitable that he would start. Regardless of Neuvirth's health, Mason is expected to see most of the starts in net this season, looking to improve on a solid 2.25 GAA and .928 save percentage from 2014-15.