Bobrovsky must be at his best

Sergei Bobrovsky must be the Blue Jackets’ best player the rest of the regular season, coach John Tortorella asserted Monday, and that’s why he didn’t pull the goalie against the Penguins after coming “close” to doing so.

Bobrovsky allowed three goals on the first four shots he faced Sunday, but Tortorella said his gut kept him from replacing Bobrovsky with backup Joonas Korpisalo.

“Do I think Bob was good through the game? No. I thought it was a struggle for him most of the night,” Tortorella said of Bobrovsky, who saved 18 of 23 shots. “But I also trust him, and to take him out — what does that do? I want him to work at his game.”

Added Tortorella, “I’m not going to go to Korpi, be mad at Bob and say, ‘Korpi, get in there.’ Korpi’s not going to be our best player. Bob has to be our best player. … I believe in Bob. He can be. I’ve seen him. And we have no chance if Bob isn’t our best player.”

Bobrovsky, who had allowed one goal in regulation each of his three previous starts, surrendered 20 to the Pens in last season’s fivegame playoff series and has allowed 11 in three matchups this season.

“There’s something that has gone on with Pittsburgh with Bob here the last little while,” Tortorella said, suggesting a psychological problem, “but who (cares) about Pittsburgh right now? They left with two points. We’re going to Newark (New Jersey). That’s where Bob has to be the best player.”

Murray poised to play

Defenseman Ryan Murray, who scored Sunday in his first-ever AHL game, said his one-game conditioning stint with minor-league Cleveland was good preparation for what will be his first NHL action Tuesday since Nov. 27. Murray, who missed 35 games with an upperbody injury, will skate with Jack Johnson in the second pairing.

“I’m not going to tiptoe into it,” Murray said of his first game back. “I’m going to trust it and make sure I play hard.”

Murray said the AHL game “felt good” and allowed him to get a lot of ice time and puck touches. He absorbed one big hit in the corner, and “I landed pretty hard, and got up. It was fine.”

Markus Nutivaara didn’t practice Monday and will sit out his second game because of an upper-body injury. Scott Harrington will take Dean Kukan’s place in the third pairing Tuesday after Kukan suffered an upperbody injury against the Penguins that will force him to miss at least one week, according to the team.

“I enjoyed playing with him,” David Savard said of Kukan. “He made my job really easy. It’s a big loss for us. It’s huge for us to get (Murray) back after two guys just went down.”

Line changes

With Nick Foligno out for up to two weeks because of a knee injury, Boone Jenner skated on the second line with Alexander Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand at practice. Matt Calvert replaced Jenner on the third line alongside Brandon Dubinsky and Josh Anderson.

Forward Zac Dalpe, who was recalled from Cleveland, split time with Lukas Sedlak centering Markus Hannikainen and Jussi Jokinen on the fourth line.

Looking for leadership

Tortorella said it “really bothered” him that Foligno’s injury came just as Foligno “has found his game.”

“He’s beginning to score (four goals in seven games before Sunday), he’s around the puck, he’s been a really good player for us on our power play in the middle,” Tortorella said. “We’re going to miss him on the ice, absolutely. As far as in the room, we have a leadership group, and it falls on them.”

Calvert said veterans must “pick up the slack” and lead by example, as well as verbally, in Foligno’s absence.

“Guys like myself are going to have to step up,” he said. “It’s no longer going to be good to create chances. We’ve got to put the puck in the back of the net.”