Stryncl a solid factor on blue line
BRAMPTON, Ont. – Defenceman Tomas Stryncl figures a few games out of the lineup was just what his ailing back needed.
Stryncl returned to the Brampton Battalion’s lineup Friday night in a 4-2 Ontario Hockey League loss to the host Mississauga IceDogs after missing four games with a sore back. He has seven assists in 13 games, earning two at Mississauga and another in a 7-4 loss Sunday to the visiting Sudbury Wolves.
“This is a big year for me,” said the 19-year-old Stryncl, who’s in his third season with the Battalion. “Being out gave me an opportunity to refocus.”
Stryncl is a key member of the Battalion’s power-play and penalty-killing units. The Troops scored three power-play goals against Sudbury but allowed a season-high five.
“I think our power play has been working,” said Stryncl, a native of the Czech Republic. “Kyle Sonnenburg and I have been doing well there. We just need to focus on getting the puck through to the net.
“Killing penalties is all about hard work and being in the right position. We need to get better working in front of the net, too. We might block the first two shots but we can’t clear the rebound, and that’s where a lot of our goals against are coming from. We took some bad penalties against Sudbury, and I include myself in there.”
A first-round pick in the Canadian Hockey League’s 2004 Import Draft, Stryncl said he thinks his game has come a long way since he earned five assists in 30 games as a rookie.
“In my first season I was just trying not to make mistakes. I was taking the body, but the coaches were also telling me to focus on making the smart play, too. I have no problems with the physical game. I’m not looking for the big hits but I know which way to move. If I’m going into the corner I’m looking to make a pass rather than taking a hit.”
Stryncl had 14 points, including one goal, in 60 games last season, and while he sees better numbers on the horizon this year he’s more interested in team goals.
“The coaches have given me this opportunity, and I’m hoping to pay them back. It’s not about points. It’s about team performance and, if the team is doing well, we’ll all do well too. We need to focus on getting better as a team and then good things will happen.”
