Creating scoring lines is tricky business

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Bluesky
• Share on X
• Copy Link

The quandary is not to play forward Andrew Cristall with up-and-coming sharp shooter Tij Iginla.

Rockets await start of Memorial Cup

Chances were there. Goals weren't

Apr 20, 2026

Enough talk. Time for action

As they say in Everett, 'Let's play hockey!

Apr 10, 2026

Rockets face road test in games 3 and 4

Goaltending, discipline and depth driving 2-0 series lead over Blazers

Mar 30, 2026

“The thing about AC [Andrew Cristall] is he can make everyone around him better,” Mallette told RocketFAN. “Having him in the lineup gives us some solidity in the lines to just move things around.”

Cristall’s 2023-2024 debut Saturday night against the Wenatchee Wild saw the 18-year-old playing on a line with Max Graham and Dylan Wightman. That trio showed some good chemistry early, with Cristall setting up Wightman, who unfortunately hit the goal-post on an in-tight chance.

“Dylan [Wightman] is a savvy faceoff guy who plays his position well,” said the Rockets’ head skipper. “Wightman can find that soft area on the ice while Max can skate extremely well. Hopefully [Graham] can get AC the puck and go to the net with his stick on the ice.”

Having two skilled forwards playing together is nothing new. The best example is Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. When down by a goal, or the team needs an offensive lift, Oilers bench boss Jay Woodcroft puts those two on the ice in an effort to tilt the ice in his teams favour. Who can forget Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg with the Colorado Avalanche and Sydney Crosby playing alongside Evgeni Malkin. For you hockey purists, how about Bobby Hull playing with Stan Makita creating magic in the offensive zone.

“That [playing Cristall with Wightman and Graham] allows me to have Tij [Iginla] and Hiroki [Gojsic] play with Turner McMillen,” Mallette saying why he doesn’t want to be an all-eggs-in-one-basket bunch. “I think Turner [McMillen] is playing very well, and playing as a 20 year-old like everything is on the line.

“Turner got that promotion [to that line] because he was working extremely hard in practice this week,” Mallette rewarding hard work over offensive success. “I think having a veteran guy playing with two youthful players could be complementary.”

While penciled on separate lines, and seeing little time together on the power play, Iginla’s second goal of the season Saturday night came after Cristall, in the midst of a line change, located the 17-year-old at the right side of the net, fed him the puck by evading no less than two Wenatchee defenders sticks, before Iginla promptly fired the puck into the wide open net.

“By setting up our lines, hopefully it strengthens our group, one through 12,” Mallette said.

A glimmer of hope that chemistry is indeed developing came in the second period, when Iginla stole a puck behind the Wenatchee goal, circled out in front, and nifty located Gojsic situated at the left side of the net for the rookies first career WHL goal. Iginla, who had a team high eight shots on net, could have shot the puck, but showed great awareness by distributing it to an open teammate.

“We are working hard, and that starts in practice,” Mallette continued, while outlining why his team is off to a 1-0-1-0 start. “We have had a college schedule to start [one game a week], so I have had to put the guys through the paces in practice.”

With the team firing 42 shots at the Wild net, something they were able to do (40+ shots) only three times last season, it appears all four lines and creating scoring chances.

“We need to have a good work ethic within the group,” Mallette lamented. “Practices are the hardest thing they are going to do all week. When it comes to the games, this is the time to execute.

“Do we know what we’ve got,” Mallette was asked if he has a greater knowledge of his teams weaknesses and strengths.

“I’ve got a pretty good idea, now it is just finding those pieces that fit well together.”