Korpisalo stepping up, jelling with Kings during playoffs after trade

EDMONTON --Joonas Korpisalo knew he had big shoes to fill when he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings.

The goalie is flourishing with his new team, going 7-3-1 with a 2.13 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and one shutout in 11 regular-season games since he was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 1. He's stopped 70 of 76 shots (.921 save percentage) in his first two starts against the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and will try to help the Kings take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series in Game 3 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Friday (10 p.m. ET; TNT, CBC, TVAS, SN, BSSC).
"I've been just playing like I've been playing all year, " Korpisalo said Tuesday. "One thing is the team and the players were really good just to help me adjust to the game system and knowing how the guys play in front of me and trusting them, and that clicked right away."
Korpisalo and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov were sent to Los Angeles by Columbus for goalie Jonathan Quick, a two-time Stanley Cup winner (2012, 2014) whose 743 games, 370 wins and 57 shutouts in the regular season each rank first in Kings history. He made 33 saves in Game 2 on Wednesday, a 4-2 loss at Rogers Place in Edmonton, when the Oilers scored twice in the third period, the second on Evander Kane's empty-net goal at 19:37.
RELATED: [Complete Oilers vs. Kings series coverage]
Korpisalo's 37 saves helped the Kings to a 4-3 overtime win in Game 1. He kept them in the game after they trailed 3-1 on Leon Draisaitl's goal at 8:46 of the third.
"He gave us the game we needed," McLellan said afterwards. "It's expected of him and from him. He expects a lot from his teammates out in front of him but when push came to shove and he had to make the big save, he did. Again, we're lucky to have him.
"Replacing Jonathan wasn't the intent. It was acquiring a goaltender that could come in and play.… It was, we're welcoming you here, you're part of our team right now. You came with a teammate (Gavrikov), which usually makes it easier. We'll try and let you in on how we play as quick as we possibly can; predictability is important for goaltenders. I think that's been able to help him adjust quickly. He's a good player for us."
Of Korpisalo's 37 saves in Game 1, 11 came in overtime with the Oilers controlling most of the play. Alex Iafallo scored the winner at 9:19.
"He was huge," Kings forward Adrian Kempe said. "He made some huge saves. That brings some energy on the bench and to the players on the ice. Those big saves really push us forward and give us momentum and helped us get that goal in the end."

If Los Angeles is to win a playoff series for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014, Korpisalo likely will be a big reason why.
"Yeah, 100 percent when you're trailing, you don't want to let it get more than two goals," Korpisalo said. "Just tried to make those big saves and keep the team in it and that's what I tried to do [Monday]. … I think that's something you get to enjoy. It's fun playing these games and a loud building, and I think we're ready for that."
Korpisalo is 4-6 in his NHL postseason career, but has a 2.07 goals-against average, .937 save percentage and two shutouts. One of those losses came after he made an NHL-record 85 saves in Game 1 of the 2020 first round, a 4-3, five-overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
McLellan said those numbers factored in to naming Korpisalo the playoff starter ahead of Pheonix Copley.
"Well, [Korpisalo] has a pretty good track record in the playoffs," McLellan said. "Real good track record versus some high-end talent. He led a team to an upset in a series (2020 against Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers). He played well from the minute he arrived here with our team; our team feels comfortable with him."
Despite the loss Wednesday, Korpisalo kept the Kings in the game. He made 11 saves in the first period, when Los Angeles did not have a shot on goal for the first 18 minutes.
"He's been great. ... I think 'Korpi' and Copley have been awesome for us ever since they came to the team," Kempe said. "Obviously we got to play better in the first periods for them (trailed 2-0 in each postseason game), but it's huge that we have guys back there that can keep us in games."