Korpisalo’s appearance likely last for season
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Unless the Blue Jackets’ Sergei Bobrovsky is benched or injured in the playoffs, a 4-2 loss Saturday night at the Nashville Predators likely will mark backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo’s last appearance of the season.
Coach John Tortorella gave Korpisalo his second start in four games, but just third in the past 14 games, to allow Bobrovsky, who’s played a career-high 65 games, extra rest before the start of the playoffs against the Washington Capitals.
Korpisalo allowed three goals — all in the first period — on 26 shots. The last two goals were power-play scores by Filip Forsberg, who gave the Predators a 3-0 lead with one second left before intermission. Forsberg notched a hat trick with an empty-netter with 40 seconds left.
Season debuts
Forward Eric Robinson made his NHL debut in front of his parents and girlfriend, who flew down from New Jersey for the game, and defenseman Taylor Chorney made his long-awaited Jackets debut.
Robinson had two shots and a plus-1 rating in 11:21. Chorney had three hits and was plus-2 in 16:41.
Tortorella told Robinson, signed out of Princeton two weeks ago, he’d be in the Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo blocks a shot by the Predators’ Kevin Fiala as Jackets defenseman Taylor Chorney defends during the first period of Saturday night’s game.
lineup when the team arrived in Nashville.
“I wasn’t really expecting it,” Robinson said. “It was a really exciting moment. I had to take a step back and think about it for a bit.”
Chorney was slated to play Feb. 26 against the Capitals, from
whom the Jackets claimed him off waivers five days earlier. But Ian Cole arrived in a trade hours before the game and replaced Chorney in the lineup.
“He’s handled himself very well in a really crappy situation,” Tortorella said. Return appearances
Alex Broadhurst played 14:47 in his second NHL game. The call-up from Cleveland made his debut Tuesday against the Red Wings.
Dean Kukan saw his first playing time in 11 games since returning from injury. His defensive partner Saturday, Scott Harrington, drew into the lineup for the first time in 20 games.
Records after rest
Tortorella’s decision to rest defensemen Seth Jones and Zach Werenski — and forwards Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin, among others — means Jones and Werenski will share the franchise record for goals by a defenseman in a season. Both have 16.
Also, Panarin couldn’t add to his franchise records for assists (55) and points (82), both career highs. Atkinson’s nine-game point streak, which tied his career best from last season, ended.
Slap shots
The Jackets were assessed a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct by Tortorella after Forsberg’s goal with one second left in the first period. Oliver Bjorkstrand served the penalty, the team’s fourth of the night. … Center Pierre-Luc Dubois became the first rookie in franchise history to play 82 games. Dubois and Bjorkstrand were the only Jackets to play in every game this season.