COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Joonas Korpisalo doesn’t get many starts as the backup to the league’s top goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky. On the ice for the Blue Jackets for the first time in three weeks, he made it count.
Korpisalo made 29 saves in regulation and overtime, and Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin scored in the shootout to give Columbus a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night.
Korpisalo maintained solid positioning as Carolina misfired on its two shootout attempts.
”I thought it was going to be fun. I like shootouts,” said Korpisalo, who made his fifth start. ”The boys scored both goals and the easy part was left for me.”
Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina trophy winner, leads the league this season in save percentage and goals-against average. Korpisalo has twice been sent to Columbus’ AHL affiliate to see game action.
”I liked our game. I thought everybody contributed, and I’m thrilled for Korpy,” Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. ”For him to get a win – I guess as your second goalie – and where he’s going back and forth to Cleveland to stay sharp, I’m thrilled for him. I think the organization handled it so well.”
Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist, and Josh Anderson also scored for the Blue Jackets, who won their first game after their season-best six-game winning streak ended. Columbus has won five in a row at home.
Noah Hanifan scored in the first period for Carolina, and Brock McGinn tied it midway through the third. Scott Darling had 36 saves for the Hurricanes, who had gone 6-3-1 in their past 10 games.
Columbus outshot Carolina 5-2 in overtime.
”The third period was our best period,” Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. ”It was a battle all night. We didn’t execute very well, but then the best part of our execution and the best part of our game was the third.”
Down a goal and starting to find more open ice in the third period, McGinn sent a shot from the slot past Korpisalo for his sixth goal this season.
Anderson put Columbus on the board early in the opening period with his team-leading ninth goal, converting a 2-on-1 one-handed feed from Pierre-Luc Dubois.
The Hurricanes took advantage of an odd-man break of their own when Columbus defenseman Scott Harrington got caught up the ice. Hanifan finished it off with his fourth at 7:41.
Columbus struck quickly again in the second period to pull ahead 2-1 when Werenski placed a wrist shot from the right circle over Darling’s glove. Alexander Wennberg, out the last six games with an injury, pulled up inside the blue line and sent a cross-ice pass to set up Werenski.
”Great goaltending, that’s the key right there,” Wennberg said. ”When it comes down to getting the extra point, they’re huge. Every game makes a difference.”
NOTES: Tortorella became the third coach to win 100 games for Columbus. … Carolina kicked off a stretch of playing 10 of 12 games on the road. …The Blue Jackets are 8-0-1 in games beyond regulation.
UP NEXT
Columbus: The Blue Jackets host Anaheim on Friday.
Carolina: The Hurricanes visit the Rangers on Friday.
—
More NHL hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey
25% Bonus via Western Union
