Columbus Blue Jackets starting goalie Sergei Bobrovsky suffered a lower-body injury Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings and it will keep him out of the lineup for three weeks, the team announced Wednesday.
Bobrovsky suffered the injury after stopping 33 of 34 shots against the Kings in 54:12 of ice time. The one-time Vezina winner is 11-12-1 this season with a 2.52 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage.
Curtis McElhinney, who filled in for Bobrovsky Tuesday and allowed two goals on seven shots in an overtime loss, will now serve as the Blue Jackets’ starter. Columbus plays the Jets Thursday in Winnipeg.
“Curtis has been very good, and now he gets his chance again,” Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen told Blue Jackets beat reporter Aaron Portzline, who first reported the news of Bobrovsky’s recovery timeline. “Now we’re going to have to find other ways to win hockey games. Bobrovsky has been keeping us in games, being the Bob we all know and love.”
Despite McElhinney’s struggles Tuesday and throughout the season (0-4-1), Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella believes his team can win with him.
“He’s played good, and I feel very comfortable [with McElhinney in net],” Tortorella said. “Hell of a spot [to enter the game] last night. We were in our end zone the whole game. The wave had already drowned us. He got a save in his chest and that’s all he needed, he made a great glove save…he has no chance on the winning goal. I liked the way he responded in a very difficult situation and he’s played well. We’re very comfortable with him in net.”
The team also recalled Joonas Korpisalo from the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters to back up McElhinney.