As expected, John Tortorella confirmed that Joonas Korpisalo will start for the Blue Jackets tonight in Buffalo.
It marks the eighth start of the season for the 22-year-old Finn, who last saw the net on Mar. 4 in Ottawa (a 3-2 loss). After some shaky outings earlier in the year, Korpisalo has given Tortorella a renewed sense of confidence with his recent play as they hit the final month of the schedule.
KORPI gets the call tonight in Buffalo!@BlueTech_Inc projected #CBJ lineup pic.twitter.com/otGZqiaGgx
— ColumbusBlueJackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 11, 2017
They’re going to need him, too; the Blue Jackets face a busy month of March and April before turning their attention to the postseason. They don’t want to coast into the playoffs, so when Korpisalo’s name is called, they need results and not simply a respite for Bobrovsky.
In his first three starts, Korpisalo allowed 11 goals but managed a 2-1-0 record. One of those was a 7-6 overtime win in Ottawa in which the Blue Jackets rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period and won on a Cam Atkinson tally in 3-on-3.
Lately, it’s been much better: Korpisalo is 2-1-0 in his three most recent starts and has been beaten only four times in that stretch. He got his first career shutout on Feb. 25 against the New York Islanders.
In other news:
- Ryan Murray, who has missed the past two games due to a lower body injury, made the trip with the team (according to Tom Reed of The Dispatch). He will not play tonight in Buffalo; the Blue Jackets next travel to Philadelphia for a game Monday night at Wells Fargo Center.
- Tortorella told media in Buffalo that the Blue Jackets will use the same 12 forwards and six defensemen as they did in last night's 4-3 win at Nationwide Arena.
- This is the second of three meetings this month between the Blue Jackets and Sabres, which encompasses their three-game season series. The final installment comes Mar. 28 at Nationwide Arena.
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