The Columbus Blue Jackets and Cleveland Monsters have been burning up the phones and highways between two of Ohio’s major cities over the last month.
Since the end of the Blue Jackets’ 16-game winning streak in early January, Columbus coach John Tortorella has been alternating backup goaltenders while giving All-Star Sergei Bobrovsky the occasional day off for rest, and the results have been mixed with Anton Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo between the pipes.
However, with the Blue Jackets (36-15-5) reeling from a 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers Monday, Korpisalo answered the call and stopped 31 of 33 shots in a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Nationwide Arena Wednesday.
“I think I’m picking up right now,” Korpisalo said. “The first four games were kind of like a rollercoaster, but I think I’m playing better now. This is my level. I’ve got to keep this or I’m going to go down every second game. It feels good right now.”
Despite facing 14 shots in the first period, Korpisalo turned all of them away, including a couple in flurries in front of his net.
In the fourth minute of the game, Toronto controlled the puck at the blue line and sent a shot in on net. Then, with Maple Leafs alternate captain Leo Komarov at point-blank range, Korpisalo aggressively pursued the puck and got it away from his net.
In response to the Blue Jackets’ first goal, Komarov took a feed pass in the slot and sent the puck toward an open Columbus net. However, Korpisalo swept across the goal crease and stopped the puck with a kick save, which he further deflected with the paddle of his stick.
“We got some really good goaltending in the first period,” Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. “Korpi gives us a chance.”
Korpisalo kept the Blue Jackets in front by two goals when he stopped an odd-man rush early in the second period. Minutes later, the Blue Jackets took a 3-0 lead when forward Oliver Bjorkstrand scored on a breakaway after Brandon Saad and Alexander Wennberg controlled the puck in the neutral zone.
“It helped a lot,” Korpisalo said. “I got a lot of shots in the first period, the second, not so much, but the last period was pretty busy as well. I got in the game pretty early, and of course, those big saves helped the team, so I felt good for those.”
With the win over Toronto, Korpisalo is now 4-1 with the Blue Jackets and earned third star of the game honors.
“He’s got a mental attitude about him, and it just rolls off of him,” Tortorella said. “I remember last year in Nashville, it was men against boys. Remember? They had like 18 shots in the first period. Korpi came to the bench, sprayed a little water in his face and said, ‘I love this.’ I said, ‘I’m glad you do,’ but he’s got a toughness about him there.
“I’m happy for him. It’s been tough on the two goalies, Forsy and him, and they’re fighting for a spot. I always like looking at the mental stuff. He’s pretty strong there. For a young kid, he’s pretty strong there.”
