Bruins laud ‘very important’ Joonas Korpisalo after win over Red Wings
Bet you didn’t have Joonas Korpisalo having better numbers than Jeremy Swayman at this point in the season.
Well, that’s the case. Korpisalo is up to 6-2-1 in nine starts this season after the Bruins pulled off a come-from-behind overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night at TD Garden. His goals against average dropped to 2.39 and his save percentage ticked up to .909. Compare that to a 7-9-2 record and a 3.09/.892 line for Swayman.
While it’s going to get silly if people start talking about Korpisalo as anything more than the Bruins’ No. 2 goaltender, his surprisingly solid play in the first third of the 2024-25 season has been a welcome plus.
“Very important player for us,” interim head coach Joe Sacco said after the game. “He flies under the radar a little bit with the start that he’s had with our group. He deserves a lot of credit for the way he’s come in and played under tough situations sometimes.
“He’s just been really solid for us. It’s really all you can ask from your goaltender is to give us a chance to win, and he’s done that on most nights.”
Korpisalo’s biggest save of the night came in the third period. As the Wings tried to extend what was a one-goal lead at the time, forward Michael Rasmussen found himself with the puck on his stick off a juicy bounce, but Korpisalo denied him with his stick, sending the puck hurtling into the protective netting.
“That was a crazy bounce,” Korpisalo said. “Just trying to scramble over. Not much time to think about it, just instincts. I’m glad I saved that.”
Both of Detroit’s goals came in five-on-five situations, but Korpisalo stopped all 10 shots against their power play, eight of which came in the second period, all as the game was knotted up at one goal apiece.
On Tuesday night, the Bruins had a little more trouble than they’ve typically had under Joe Sacco in their own end. Coverage and breakouts weren’t as tight as they have been under the new coach. The Red Wings, despite getting out-shot 23-14 at five-on-five, actually had a 5-1 advantage in high-danger chances.
So, it was critical for Korpisalo to come up with timely saves when they really needed it. The B’s goaltending certainly hasn’t been perfect this season, but for Korpisalo to turn in a .926 save rate on any given night is an undeniable positive.
Now, if only Swayman can get cooking on a consistent basis as well, the Bruins will really start to win games the way they need to win going forward.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
