New Bruins Goalie Joonas Korpisalo Addresses Struggles With Senators
New Boston Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo started a career-high 49 games in his one and only season with the Ottawa Senators.
But despite getting that opportunity to hold down the net for the Senators, Korpisalo acknowledged his performance wasn’t to his liking.
Korpisalo posted a 21-26-4 record to go along with a 3.27 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage — the second-worst mark of his 10-year NHL career.
But the Finnish netminder is looking to put that season quickly behind him as he starts anew after being traded to the Bruins.
“Last year was a tough year for everyone in Ottawa, change the GM, the owner, all the coaches,” Korpisalo told reporters Wednesday, per team-provided video. “It’s a long season when it goes that way. For me individually and I think the whole team, we did underperform the whole year, and that’s that. It’s behind me. I look back and obviously learn some things about it. Now it’s time to look forward and I have a great opportunity here with Boston and I couldn’t be more excited.”
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Korpisalo, who said he was “shocked” by the trade, showed with the Columbus Blue Jackets he can get the job done between the pipes. He was elected to the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, but didn’t play in the exhibition contest due to a knee injury. The 30-year-old also played well when he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in the middle of the 2022-23 season. He recorded a 2.13 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage in 11 games with the Kings.
Korpisalo believes he doesn’t have to do too much to return to that form as in all likelihood he will back up Jeremy Swayman.
“I wouldn’t say an overhaul. There’s always things to work on and I think the big picture comes from little details,” Korpisalo said. “Those are things you work every day and even now I’m working on those little details. I don’t think there’s anything major to change in my game. It’s just on me to be on my level and that’s fairly enough to win games in that league.”
Helping Korpisalo get to that level will be Bruins goalie coach Bob Essesna, who previously worked with Korpisalo. Essensa has made a habit of turning anything he’s touched turn to gold in Boston’s net and Korpisalo will look to get some of that to rub off on him, too.
“He’s done his research, which is a great thing for me, looking how I am as a goalie,” Korpisalo said. “And I’m super excited to get to work with him, as well.”