Korpisalo stopped 18 of 20 shots (.900 SV%) in a win over Philadelphia in his previous start. Korpisalo will be taking the bulk of the Blue Jackets' starts after Elvis Merzlinkins was placed on injured reserve Thursday. He holds a 2-1-1 record with a 3.70 GAA and .910 SV%. He takes on the Montreal Canadiens who just snapped a three-game winning streak with a 5-1 loss their last time out to New Jersey.
Korpisalo lost his only start of the season his last time out, allowing five goals on 45 shots (.889 SV%) in a 5-1 loss to Colorado. He will look to build off his only start as he takes on the Philadelphia Flyers at home Thursday. Philadelphia has won two straight games after taking their last contest 5-1 over St. Louis.
Korpisalo will head to Cleveland (AHL) for a conditioning start vs. Syracuse Saturday. From there it is expected that the 28-year-old will head up to Columbus to back up Elvis Merzlikins. Through seven career seasons, he has 76 wins in 164 starts while posting a .902 SV% and 3.04 GAA.
Korpisalo underwent hip surgery in March and did not appear in a preseason game. Korpisalo is at practice but is expected to start the season on IR and will continue to work to get back to 100 percent. Daniil Tarasov is expected to open the season as Elvis Merzlikins' backup.
The Blue Jackets announced that it was an injury that Korpisalo has been dealing with "for some time" and that it has gotten to the point where "surgery is the best option." With Korpisalo out for the year and Elvis Merzlikins currently banged up as well, the Blue Jackets will turn to J-F Berube once again.
The Blue Jackets have sent J-F Berube back to the AHL to make room for Korpisalo to serve as Elvis Merzlikins' backup vs. the Maple Leafs. Korpisalo, who has not played since January 31st, has gone 6-8-0 with an .887 SV% in 18 appearances (14 starts) this season.
Korpisalo's move to IR is retroactive to February 15th, which means he is eligible to come off whenever he's healthy. The move was made to create an open spot on the roster to activate Emil Bemstrom from the COVID-19 protocol list.
