BRIGHTON, Mass. — Last season was frustrating for everyone in the Boston Bruins organization, but especially so for Joonas Korpisalo.

While the team sputtered to a disparaging last place finish in the Eastern Conference, the backup goalie couldn’t do much else but watch from his seat on the bench as he appeared in just 27 games while starter Jeremy Swayman got the lion share of the workload.

“I don’t think there’s any goal in the league who is really comfortable playing in 20 or 25, games,” Korpisalo said back in April. “I’m going to push for more games, for sure, and we’ll see what happens.”

As the Bruins reconvene for training camp this season, there’s still no guarantee that Korpisalo will receive anymore playing time this season. Not only because Jeremy Swayman still owns the starting role, but because his job as the backup is now under threat from fellow netminder Michael DiPietro.

DiPietro was stellar for the Providence Bruins last season, and won the Aldege “Baz” Bastian award as the AHL’s best goalie. In all likelihood, he could’ve signed a somewhere in free agency this summer where he would have a clearer chance of breaking into the NHL, perhaps even as a starter. Instead, he opted to re-sign with Boston on a one-way, two-year contract, making for a crowded crease on Causeway Street.

But if there were ever a theme for this year’s training camp, competition is it, and Korpisalo is embracing it fully.

“I’m going to do my best, and we’ll see what happens,” Korpisalo said on Friday at Warrior Ice Arena. “Of course, I need to earn it. I’m not going back to last year. Like I said, I’ll do my best every day and see what happens.”

Toughness Not Just Kastelic’s Burden To Bear:

The Bruins leaned into their identity of being big and bad with many of their acquisitions during the offseason.

They want to be physical, they want to be tough, and most of all, they want to be harder to play against.

That won’t be a problem for Mark Kastelic.

“It’s always nice to have as many guys that are tough to play against and not afraid to stick up for each other, so I think the more, the merrier,” Kastelic said. “It’s definitely nice to have some size and some toughness.”

Kastelic is entering his second season with the Bruins. Last year, he regularly played the role of Boston’s resident enforcer, leading the team with 10 fighting majors across 61 games played.

However, while he was always ready and willing to drop the gloves, the frequency of the fisticuffs took its toll on Kastelic as he missed the final month of the season with the lingering symptoms of a concussion.

Kastelic is entering training camp with a clean bill of health following what he labeled a “very standard,” offseason. Even still, the Bruins made sure he wouldn’t have to bear the responsibility of fighting alone this season.

Through the first two days of camp, Kastelic has skated on a line with Sean Kuraly and Mikey Eyssimont, two new additions with a reputation for playing with an edge. Of course, there’s also Tanner Jeannot, who Kastelic is more than familiar with.

“We’ve fought before,” said Kastelic. “He definitely manhandled me a little bit, but I was happy I stood in there. He’s not an easy guy to go against, so I was proud of myself for that.”

 

Signed to five-year contract, Jeannot joins the Bruins as one of the most feared fighters in all of hockey. The bruising forward has 43 bouts under his belt so far through his five years in the NHL, and is usually among the league leaders in hits every season.

“He’s a strong guy,” Kastelic said. “I saw that firsthand this year in fitness testing. I saw some numbers on the bench press I’ve never seen before. Looking back, I’m happy that, one, he didn’t connect with me too hard and to be his teammate now.”

Lines:

Group A: 

Geekie – E. Lindholm – Arvidsson

Abate/Khusnutdinov – Mittelstadt – Steeves

Beecher – Minten – Lysell

Harrison/Merkulov – Farninacci – Locemlis

Lohrei – McAvoy

Zadorov – Jokiharju

Callahan – Sweezey

Johansson – Gallagher

Swayman

DiPietro

Hrebik

Group B: 

Blumel – Zacha – Jeannot

Eyssimont – Kuraly – Kastelic

Tufte – Poitras – Duran

Viel – Brown – Schmaltz/Bancroft

H. Lindholm – Peeke

Harris/Brunet – Soderstrom

Aspirot – Felix

Edward – Wanner

Korpisalo

Zajicek

Cavallin

Injury Report:

David Pastrnak did not participate in practice for the second straight day as he deals with a case of tendonitis in his knee. The wing skated prior to the start of practice, along with forward prospect Ty Cheveldayoff.

Up Next:

The Bruins will continue training camp with practice on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at Warrior Ice Arena before opening their preseason schedule on Sunday at TD Garden where they’ll face the Washington Capitals.

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