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Tomas Vokoun posts second straight shutout; Strong season could earn him a big deal

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James O’Brien

If Tomas Vokoun was a MLB pitcher, his teammates might feel compelled to avoid eye contact with him right now.

That’s because the underrated Czech goalie is pitching the netminding equivalent of a no-hitter, as he now has two straight shutouts after bottling up the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 6-0 win for the Florida Panthers. In fact, since having a rough start against the Edmonton Oilers to start the season (allowing three goals on only 13 shots), Vokoun has stopped 89 out of 91 shots in the last three games, good for a staggering 97.8 save percentage.

Shutting out the Calgary Flames is one thing, as that team just isn’t very powerful now that they’re weak at center and Jarome Iginla might be past his prime. Shutting down the red-hot Lightning (especially Maurice Richard Trophy co-winner Steve Stamkos), on the other hand, is pretty impressive.

Vokoun has been a rock in net for years. He might not get much Vezina Trophy consideration because the teams in front of him rarely score enough for him to pile up big win totals, but chew on this impressive stat: Vokun’s save percentage has been at or above 91.9 percent since the 2005-06 season when he was a member of the Nashville Predators. He’s been above 92 percent for three full campaigns, a threshold that indicates truly elite play.

Ultimately, he’s one of the goalies to watch over this season, even if it’s simply because he’ll audition for his last big contract. Vokoun has plenty of motivation to impress potential buyers, too. It’s not just that his contract is expiring, but he’ll also turn 35 by July 2, 2011 which means that he’ll be a 35+ contract. Combine that troubling fact with the brutal 2010 free agent market for goalies and it’s clear that the fantastic Czech will really have to wow people this season to get another nice deal.

Whether it’s with the Panthers or a contender looking for a rock in net during the trade deadline, this is a huge year (and opportunity) for Vokoun. If he keeps playing like this, someone will have to notice. And pay him handsomely.