No one's perfect.
John Tortorella pushed all the right buttons and, for the most part, made all the right moves a year ago en route to the best season in Blue Jackets history.
They did so largely with Sergei Bobrovsky carrying the mail, who (as you know) won his second Vezina Trophy. So far this season, the way the Blue Jackets have used Joonas Korpisalo has been...interesting. They think highly of him, we know that. They signed him to a two-year extension just after the season and went through a significant deal of trouble to protect him in the expansion draft, so you'd think they have big plans for the kid.
It just seems like, at the moment, their plans involve him taking the games where he doesn't have much of a chance.
Let me pause for a second and offer a disclaimer: don't mistake this for whining or excuse-making. There's a plan behind how the Blue Jackets use Korpisalo and I think it's time we take a look at it, that's all. Onward.
He was pretty good last night. On most nights, good enough to win the game. The Blue Jackets were decent in front of him and Korpisalo made a few key stops – and in the third period, finally got a mere goal of support when Pierre-Luc Dubois tied the game.
Bottom line is that he didn't win. The Blue Jackets didn't win. But, why did he start this game? Why not last night in New York or Oct. 27 at home against Winnipeg? If everyone and their brother can accurately predict when Korpisalo is going to see the net, maybe that's not the best thing. Tuesday was Korpisalo's fourth start of the season (he's 1-3-0), and only one of those games – Oct. 17 in Winnipeg – was not the tail end of a back-to-back.
Guess how that Oct. 17 turned out? Korpisalo was calm, solid and made 26 saves in a 5-2 win. He made 38 saves in a 4-1 loss to St. Louis on Oct. 28, 29 saves in a 5-1 loss to Chicago on Oct. 7 and last night, made 29 saves in a losing effort to Nashville.
Again: I know the coaching staff has a plan mapped out for Korpisalo, and they probably have for months, but...it's fair to ask whether the timing of those starts is entirely fair to the player, considering there's only so much he can do. If he's good enough to play and good enough to get starts, why not a start on regular rest for the team?
Alright, got that off my chest. The Blue Jackets are 9-6-1 and remain one of the NHL's best 5-on-5 teams. They've been good while dragging along a god-awful power play. They'll be fine.
SAME OLD LUKE
Sorry, friends, it's been a few days since I've spewed Star Wars nonsense in The Fuse. Truth is I'm trying really hard to not ingest anything that borders on the "spoiler zone," seeing as we're a month out from The Last Jedi.
However...
Luke Skywalker's story – i.e., where it will be taken in this new movie – is my biggest fascination with Rian Johnson's writing. How do you write Luke, the galaxy's hero and last hope, as a cast-off who has willingly ignored those he loved the most for nearly three decades? According to Mark Hamill, we're going to meet a familiar Luke but also one who's gone through some shit.
"Actually, I don’t think Luke’s fundamental personality has changed [over the years], except that he is older and his life experiences have shaped his outlook the same way they do for all of us."
If he's like the rest of us me, he added a few pounds between the ages of 20-25.
YOU SHOULD BE READING
- Getting Cam Atkinson back in the mix is huge for Tortorella's depth.
- A recap of Tuesday night's frustrating home-ice loss to the Predators.
- The latest edition of The WeekAhead from our star intern, Andy Anders.
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