Joonas Korpisalo got a big contract in Ottawa in the summer. The first season has been disappointing, but he can be hopeful about his future.
Vancouver
NHL season so far there is no doubt about the biggest flop.
The Ottawa Senators still haven't been able to take the step to become a winning team.
Last season we already saw better, when the Senators played meaningful games in the spring after all. However, the playoff spot remained six points away, and the season ended in the regular season for the sixth time in a row.
The Senators, who had to play a wide range of goalie roulette last season, acquired a new man between the posts in the summer, when Joonas Korpisalo was signed as a free agent with no less than a five-year contract, which brings the Finn 20 million dollars.
Korpisalo returned to the rink last season after hip surgery and made an excellent save behind a miserable Columbus team. In the spring, he was traded to Los Angeles. In the Kings, the Finn got to enjoy one of the league's best defenses and put off a strong spring season.
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“It hasn't been easy for anyone here.”
Senators credit Korpisalo has not yet been awarded with top picks. The advanced statistics show that Korpisalo has fought slightly worse than expected. Traditional prevention statistics have also been weak.
On the other hand, Ottawa has suffered from the same problems as last year, i.e. over-aggressive attacking and weak defense in all areas of the field. Its defensive numbers are rock bottom. The team gives its opponents way too many dangerous goal chances night after night.
Such an environment is exceptionally demanding for the goalkeeper, when you cannot trust the team playing in front of you.
“It hasn't been easy for anyone here. Almost from the beginning, it's been quite a roller coaster, both personally and for everyone else,” Korpisalo characterizes.
A lot has happened in the early season.
“First the GM got a shoe and then a shirt. Things have changed terribly. Now we've gotten a bit more steady and we're on a better path,” says Korpisalo.
Korpisalo, 29, emphasizes that he himself should have been able to do better during the early season.
“There have been a lot of dangerous tackles in the games, but two or three more saves should often be taken. You can't concede four or five goals if you want to win. I and everyone have room for improvement.”
For a new one A former top hockey player became the GM Steve Staios, whose appointment was confirmed at the turn of the year. For now, the post of head coach is handled by a man in his seventies Jacques Martinwho coached the Senators from 1996 to 2004.
“We have now managed to be a little more on the offensive end. We have been able to eliminate the spinning of our own head. The game has been made a little simpler and the guys are on the same page,” says Korpisalo.
GM installed at the mileage factory Pierre Dorion during the rebuilding, assembled a very high-quality young body for Ottawa, from which we are allowed to expect results in the next few years. However, the lack of routine has been evident in the team, and the head coach got the boot after the Manager DJ Smith could not organize its defensive game during its more than four seasons.
In some ways, the Smith era was also personified by the team captain to Brady Tkachuk.
Playing with great emotion, Tkachuk brings entertainment to the rink with his fierce desire and straightforward playing style. He is the last of the really old alliance power forwards.
Tkachuk scores goals, tackles hard and fights, and cares about his teammates. Tkachuk doesn't give in to sarcastic behavior towards his opponents, but sometimes you should get Snap out of his feeling for the game, so that it doesn't take the man too much.
As a leader, Tkachuk is highly respected among his own people.
“Good dude. You can see that from Faija [Keith Tkachuk] good lessons have been learned about being a leader. A passionate guy who really cares about the team and all its members. It's good to be in the booth with him”, Korpisalo characterizes the skipper.
Ottawa's Finnish traditions are quite thin, but now, in addition to Korpisalo, Askas has also been seen during the early season Nikolas Matipalo and Roby Järventie. Recently, however, they have been struggling in the AHL.
“At our best there were actually up to three Finns and even a small Finnish mafia. That's always a plus.”
Korpisalo played eight seasons in Columbus, so he is used to an environment like Ottawa.
“We have had a good time. It's not a huge place, which is fine. The gang is also full of good guys,” says Korpisalo, who became a father last winter.
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“As long as the feeling is good, that's important.”
The sharpest eyes may have noticed that Korpisalo started the current season with True's new flipper.
However, he recently returned to wearing his old Vaughn glove. True has reportedly had problems customizing equipment. Korpisalo confirms that this was also behind his decision.
“There were a couple of problems with it. It didn't turn and somehow it was always in the hand facing hell. It couldn't be customized enough, so I switched to the same one I had before.”
“It fits better in the hand. As long as the feeling is good, that's important”, Korpisalo smiles.
In Ottawa, Korpisalo has employed a new goalkeeper coach Zac Bierkin with.
“Cooperation works really well. I've liked him since the beginning. I didn't know him before, but we thought about the game the same way. He was very familiar with my game before I even came here.”
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“It's nice to have a friend by my side, with whom we can chat with each other and spend time anyway.”
A pair of goalkeepers Anton Forsberg is instead an old acquaintance from the Columbus organization. The duo celebrated the AHL championship in 2016 in the Lake Erie Monsters, when Korpisalo saved six wins out of nine playoff games he played. The Swede was between the posts in the deciding games.
“It would have been nice if the games had gone a little better, but the joint game works well. As if we were never apart. Now, of course, both have families and are away, so time has passed,” says Korpisalo.
“It's nice to have a friend by my side, with whom we can chat with each other and spend time anyway.”
Both need to improve their grip in order for Ottawa to dream of greater success.
But looking at Ottawa's structure, it is not impossible that Korpisalo, as a continuation of the AHL championship, can play for the brightest in the NHL in the next few years.
The playoffs are going to remain a dream this year as well, but in the capital, one can genuinely dream of a significantly better near future.
“Of course, we always talk about potential. However, there are so many skilled guys involved and the desire to win. There is so much skill in the booth that it makes no sense. As long as we get a little solidity and consistency in this effort, the ingredients are the
re for anything,” says Korpisalo.
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