Blood Condition Sidelines Goalie

Nashville goaltender Tomas Vokoun will miss the final four games of the regular season and the postseason because of a blood condition.

Vokoun, 29, has not played since April 1, when he had 35 saves in a 2-1 victory over St. Louis.

The Predators had been listing Vokoun as day-to-day with a sore back, but General Manager David Poile said Monday that Vokoun has pelvic thrombophlebitis.

Poile said a full recovery is expected, but Vokoun will be on blood-thinning medication for several weeks.

Vokoun, the team’s career leader in wins, had played in 61 of the Predators’ first 74 games with a record of 36-18-7. He was 9-4-2 since returning from the Olympics, where he helped the Czech Republic win bronze. He has a 2.67 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.

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Philadelphia Flyer defenseman Denis Gauthier was suspended for two games without pay for his check from behind on Toronto’s Kyle Wellwood.

He will miss games today against Pittsburgh and Thursday at New Jersey. He will be eligible to return Saturday against the New York Rangers.

The suspension will cost him more than $13,600, with the money going to the players’ emergency assistance fund.