Korpisalo looking forward to Blue Jackets goalie battle with Merzlikins

Joonas Korpisalo said he is looking forward to continuing the goalie competition with Elvis Merzlikins for the Columbus Blue Jackets' No. 1 job after signing a two-year contract April 17.

"I've been fighting for my spot for a while in my career, so it's nothing new," Korpisalo said Monday from his home in Finland. "A little bit of competition brings out the best in both of us."

Korpisalo, who turns 26 on April 28, was the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky from 2015 until Bobrovsky signed with the Florida Panthers on July 1, 2019.

Korpisalo took over while Merzlikins, a rookie from Latvia, struggled at the start of this season, losing his first eight games (0-4-4).

When Korpisalo injured his knee during a 3-2 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 29 and missed 24 games, Merzlikins took the NHL by storm. He had five shutouts in an eight-game stretch from Jan. 11-Feb. 7 when the Blue Jackets climbed back into the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

"Sometimes it's pretty hard to watch the team when they're playing really good and not being a part of it," Korpisalo said. "It's part of sports. It's kind of a learning experience for me, to stay patient and work myself back into game shape and get back to it."

Korpisalo was 19-12-5 with a 2.60 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage and two shutouts in 37 games (35 starts) when the NHL paused the season March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. He was selected to the Metropolitan Division team for the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Game but could not play because of his injury.

Korpisalo said the toughest part of being the No. 1 goalie is consistency.

"You have to be on your game night in, night out, make the difference between a good night and a bad night really small," he said. "You have to keep your level every single night. That's something I learned this year to be a top goalie."

Korpisalo returned Feb. 24 when Merzlikins sustained a concussion against the Ottawa Senators. Merzlikins missed five games before returning March 8 against the Vancouver Canucks, so there hasn't been an opportunity for a goalie controversy to brew.

Merzlikins is 13-9-8 with a 2.35 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in 33 games (31 starts). The 26-year-old is tied for second in the NHL with five shutouts (Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights; Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins) behind Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, who has six.

Korpisalo said he and Merzlikins can compete while maintaining their friendly relationship. Merzlikins will be a restricted free agent after the season.

"We were friends from early development camps. We used to be roommates, so we were friends already," Korpisalo said. "It's been a lot of fun with Elvis, working hard in practice but still having fun. It doesn't matter who plays, we support each other. We're competitive but that's something that helps me be a better goalie.

"We have a really good relationship, me and Elvis and goaltender coach Manny Legace. It's been a lot of fun working with them."