Shutout helps Vokoun heal - Nashville, Tennessee - Monday, 02/05/07 - Tennessean.com
Returning to top form has been a tough process for Predators goaltender Tomas Vokoun.
On Saturday night against Anaheim, he made another stride toward becoming his old self.
Vokoun, who missed 21 games after having surgery to repair torn ligaments and a small fracture in his left thumb, collected his third shutout of the season, blocking all 36 shots from the Ducks on the way to a 3-0 win.
"I felt pretty good," Vokoun said. "They took a lot of shots, but it was not the toughest game I've had."
He has had some tough games, however.
In his first game back (Jan. 9 against Anaheim), he let in four goals, but the Predators won 5-4. A week later, he was pulled against Detroit after allowing two goals on eight shots in just 22 minutes.
"I think he maybe came back a little early," Predators center Jason Arnott said. "Obviously anybody who is injured and plays a big role wants to come back and help the team out. We knew his hand was hurting a little bit when he came back.
"Now his confidence is a lot better and he is back to Vouky style of play, so it's a great positive for us."
Vokoun said he still needs to work on things such as controlling rebounds, but he sees continued improvement. He's 5-2 since his return.