Troy Stecher has been everything the Toronto Maple Leafs could have asked for and then some in his short time with the team. The Leafs claimed him off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers in November and he’s provided a much-needed stable presence to a defensive corps that has missed Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo for much of the season.
On Thursday night, Stecher scored a goal to tie the game at 5 with just under seven minutes to play in the game, setting the stage for Auston Matthews to score his hat-trick goal to take the lead and eventually seal the game. While typically lauded for his defensive capabilities and competitiveness, he’s shown that he can land on the scoresheet every now and then. Matthews praised Stecher for the goal and raved about the vibe he’s brought to the locker room.
“He’s come in and fit in so well with this group right away,” Matthews told reporters after the win. “He plays with a lot of passion, a lot of emotion out there. It’s been a couple of weeks in a row now that we’ve seen that passion, that energy from him, and it’s been awesome to see. That was a big goal for him tonight, he made a lot of great plays throughout the game for us, and like I said, he’s just been a great addition to our group.
Stecher said that it was nice to chip in offensively, but more than anything he was pleased that it led to a win for the team.
“Yeah, it’s obviously nice to contribute, but more importantly it tied the game,” Stecher said. “We had life before then, I actually thought we played pretty well to start the game and had a great third, but, yeah, just a big goal at a big time.”
Head coach Craig Berube has had plenty of good things to say about Stecher since his arrival, and brought up his competitive nature when discussing his play postgame.
“He’s obviously a very competitive player,” Berube said. “I didn’t know him that well before he got here. But, just being around the guy and watching him, very competitive and brings a lot of energy to the team. Very vocal kind of guy. He’s getting a good opportunity here right now, and he’s taken advantage of it.”
With Stecher’s goal, his second of the season, he’s already tied his point total with the Edmonton Oilers last season in 45 fewer games. The fit has clearly been a good one so far, and with Tanev set to miss a good chunk of time with a groin injury, the opportunities will only continue to come.
“It’s hard not to say it feels good to score a goal,” he said with a laugh.
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