Korpisalo makes the most of playing time, helps fuel Jackets’ winning streak

The embrace had all the awkwardness of a goodbye on a first date.

Skating off the ice after a third straight win between the pipes, Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo headed straight for captain Nick Foligno. It’s tradition for the forward to wrap two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky in a bear hug after a win, but a whirlwind of a week has led to somewhat of a shifting of the tide for the Jackets.

At first, Korpisalo said, he and Foligno head-butted each other, resulting in what he jokingly said were concussions for both players — although the goalie shortened the word to “conkies.”

After Korpisalo had stopped 29 of 30 shots in a 4-1 victory over New Jersey on Tuesday, Foligno gave him somewhat of a half-hug, halfhandshake celebratory greeting.

“Today was really bad,” Korpisalo said afterward, shaking his head. “We’re going to figure out something.”

If he continues to play well, they’re going to have to. After Bobrovsky stormed off the ice on Jan. 8 when he was pulled in Tampa Bay and was subsequently removed from the team for one game, Korpisalo has primarily backstopped the Jackets to a four-game winning streak.

In overtime wins against Nashville and Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo makes a save against the New York Rangers during a Nov. 10 game. In 14 starts this season, Korpisalo has a 9-2-2 record.

Washington and the victory against the Devils, Korpisalo has stopped 93 of 98 shots (a .949 save percentage) with a 1.62 goals-against average. Faced with a set of circumstances that could sink a team, the Blue Jackets have instead climbed into first place in the Metropolitan Division.

Owing to

Bobrovsky’s uncertain future with the franchise, coach John Tortorella said before the start of the season that he was going to have to play Korpisalo more than before in order to get a feel for what his role might be. Tuesday night, Tortorella said Korpisalo had earned the start and that he wasn’t necessarily

impressed just with what he saw from Korpisalo in the win.

“It’s what I don’t see in him; just no extra movement,” he said. “He just looks confident. … I thought he handled the puck well tonight. Yeah, it’s a 4-1 game, but he’s a big part of why it was a 4-1 game.”

Tortorella isn’t committing to one goalie over the other going forward, pointing out that he doesn’t divulge such information in advance. The fact that it’s even a question shows how well Korpisalo has played of late.

“I think you could tell with his game he’s playing with a lot of confidence himself,” forward Cam Atkinson said. “I think he’s really taken his game to another level with confidence and how he prepares in practice and battling for pucks in practice. It’s really showing in the games.”

Korpisalo described himself as being like any other player in gaining more traction when playing regularly. In 14 starts this season, he is 9-2-2, and in his last five appearances Korpisalo has a save percentage of .957. Against the Devils, Korpisalo credited his teammates for cleaning up loose pucks and getting him clear looks at shots headed his way. There wasn’t one of the 30 shots faced that he didn’t see, Korpisalo said.

It’s added to an internal level of calm that Korpisalo said is rising.

“We’ve just got to keep working on it more,” he said. “Now it’s showing up in games a little bit. There might be a little bit more there, too.”