Graham remaining positive despite recent Rockets’ struggles

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The latest setback came Saturday night at Prospera Place, with the largest crowd of the season (5,030) watching the hometown team play terrific through 40 minutes before imploding in the third period in a 5-4 loss to the Prince George Cougars.

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“We are super close [to getting back into the win column], we just need a couple of extra bounces here and there to get us out of this slump, and once we get out of it we should be fine,” he said.

The encouraging signs were there against the best team in the WHL. The Rockets opened the scoring and were getting above average hustle and determination from all 18 skaters. Goalie Jake Pilon was dialed in too. Yet, it was an ill-advised charging penalty with four minutes left in the third period, in a 4-4 game, that allowed the Cougars to score with the man-advantage, handing the Rockets there 12th regulation loss of the season.

“Things haven’t been going our way when we’ve been in the box,” Graham astutely pointed out. “Everyone on the team has to stay out of the box. Obviously we are going to have the best chance to win if we are playing five-on-five or if we are on the power play.”

Tij Iginla scored a power play goal against the Cougars Saturday night, a rarity during this winless streak where the team manufactured just one goal in their last 30 chances with the extra-man. While scoring with the power-play, the team also surrendered a shorthanded goal, a league leading 9th when a poor line change allowed Cougars forward Terik Parascak to gingerly skate in on a breakaway before potting his 20th goal of the season.

With leading scorer Andrew Cristall missing in action for the third time in the last four games, it was hard for the home team to get scoring chances late in the game with Pilon on the bench for the extra attacker in an effort to send things into overtime.

“It is definitely tougher on the offensive side,” Graham stating the obvious. “He [Cristall] is the guy who is driving offense for our team every night. I think we have a pretty deep team, when he is out, we have other guys that can step up like Gabby [Gabriel Szturc] and Iggy [Tij Iginla], and try to fill his void.”

With a lack of results, players like 20-year-old Dylan Wightman needs to step up, with no goals in his last 10 games, and 19 year-old Michael Cicek, who began the season as a point producer has gone quiet with no goals in his last eight games.

Even Graham admits he needs to be better, with just one goal in his last nine outings.

“I just need to keep playing my role,” Graham taking the lack of offense production in stride. “I am not going to go out and score a hattrick every night, but if I can get in the corners and cause some havoc, create some space out there for other players, and maybe tap one in, that is my style of game.”

Being hungry in front of the opposition net can go a long way though. Look at Cougars forward Koehn Ziemmer’s game winning goal Saturday night as an example. It was a tap-in after Rockets goalie Jake Pilon failed to control a rebound, that squeezed past him and sat dangerously near the goal line. Ziemmer, who scored 41 goals a season ago, guided the puck in with ease.

Not every goal needs to make the highlite reel.

“Everyone has a role on this team,” Graham offered.

“If everyone sticks to it individually, we will set ourselves up for success.”