Tortorella addresses doubters: 'We're supposed to suck this year'

Many projected the Columbus Blue Jackets to regress after losing Sergei Bobrovsky, Artemi Panarin, and Matt Duchene in free agency this summer, but the club has collected points in five straight games to improve its record to 4-3-2.

After Monday's 4-3 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, always candid head coach John Tortorella addressed the pundits who believed his team wouldn't be able to overcome the loss of its three best players.

"We're supposed to suck this year," Tortorella said postgame. "We're just gonna worry about our own business and take it a day at a time."

Tortorella's response stemmed from a question about goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, who had big shoes to fill in replacing a two-time Vezina Trophy winner.

Korpisalo stopped 28 of 31 shots against the high-flying Leafs and has now been in goal for all four of the club's victories this season. He owns a .922 save percentage in his last four games.

Columbus' next test will come at home Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes.