Ohradka Thriving on Special Teams

[animal74 1,626]

 

Before the mid-season trade last season that saw Ondrej Ohradka go from Calgary to Prague, the Slovakian winger had barely seen any ice-time on special teams. He was a young developing player at the time and the Wranglers were deep at forward with more established veterans manning the power play and penalty kill units.

 

Once in Prague, however, the Phantoms immediately played Ohradka in both special teams units and while he struggled initially, he eventually became more comfortable on both units and this year even more so.  Firmly entrenched on the Phantoms' primary power play and penalty killing units, he has thrived on both ends of the ice and is currently third on the team with six power play goals and tied for third with 16 power play points. Also, Ohradka has taken the fourth-most faceoffs on the team while playing the center spot on the PK in spite of being a winger. He and PK partner Kefka Palazzo lead Prague forwards in shorthanded ice time.

 

"Being on the power play has been a blast," OO7 says with a grin. "It's fun and I love having the extra space to create plays. Being on the ice with a guy like Roll (Fizzlebeef) makes it even better as he has been passing the puck with so much poise this year and rarely makes the wrong play." Indeed, the duo along with Thomas Landry II have helped the Phantoms to an above average power play that has been lethal all year with nine players having 10 or more power play points.

 

Seeing so much time against the opposition's power play has been more challenging but Ohradka has enjoyed the additional responsibility and tries to prove every shift that he can handle the job. Having been known as a capable two-way forward thus far in his career, it’s a challenge he handles with enthusiasm and aplomb.

 

"I've always prided myself on my defensive game and being on the PK allows me to develop that side of my game even more. The most challenging part has been taking faceoffs but I'm happy to learn a new skill and add it to my skill set."

 

Ohradka has been seen after practice working on faceoffs with coaches and centers Fizzlebeef and Alex Pearson to improve his timing and technique. He realizes the importance of being quicker on the draw.

 

“Faceoffs are a skill that need to be fine-tuned and you have to find the stance and grip that works best for you so you can train your hand-eye coordination to be at its peak. It’s taken me awhile to get the hang of winning draws as it’s not something I thought I would need to do much but I’m getting better all the time. Some players just seem to have that knack for it though. Possession is so important when killing penalties that it’s not something I can ignore.”

 

While he may never lead the league in faceoff percentage, it seems like Ondrej Ohradka is doing everything he can to make Prague’s power play and penalty kill… special.

 

Mentioned: @Jayrad28 @TacticalHammer @Doomsday @diamond_ace

[Doomsday 4,055]

Glad you were able to get a chance to prove yourself with us and getting to show the league what a hidden talent you were! 

[animal74 1,626]

Forgot to claim the doubles week for this MS: