Most teams run three full lines, followed by a fourth line with one double shifted forward. Some teams play four full lines completely, trying to take advantage of fresher legs and different approaches. Most teams also play two offensively minded lines as the 1st and 2nd units, followed by a checking 3rd line. So which lines are the best at each spot? Have a look…
The first line is arguably meant to be the most offensively focused line on any team. Often teams try to put their three most potent offensive weapons on the line, creating a 3-man unit far superior to the 2nd and 3rd lines. Other teams attempt to spread out their offense across the lines, to avoid only having one line that can score goals consistently. Even the line with the most points however may not be the best first line - if they can't keep the puck out of their own net, all the goals in the world might not be enough. A first line still has to give some focus towards playing solid defense, since often they are facing their opponent's top line as well.
The trio of Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic and Bill Guerin is likely the most dynamic threesome in the league, however since Guerin has only played 2 games with the Avalanche, it cannot be said that they have been the best 1st line this year. If one were to do this report in another 20-30 games, it would not be surprising at all if this line were at the top of the heap. The same could be said for the Detroit Red Wings top unit of Sergei Fedorov, Brian Rolston and Owan Nolan. Those three players have combined for more points (114 in 39 games) than any other trio, except they haven't been together for very long. Rolston only recently received a promotion to the 1st line.
That leaves the San Jose Sharks, one of the most potent offensive teams, with the best 1st line unit comprising of Alexei Yashin, Markus Naslund and Sami Kapanen. The line has been together for a good part of the season and while they don't have the highest point totals amongst number one units, their balanced attack, high +/- ratings and incredible all-around contributions earn them the top rating in this category. The line is well balanced with speed, passing and stick handling ability, scoring and toughness. And most interestingly, the line always comes through in the clutch, with a total of 11 game winning goals (7 by Kapanen alone). The Sharks have a team chock full of superstars, which certainly helps in promoting the overall success of the team, but this well-constructed line is certainly a major reason for the team's performance this year.
Honorable mentions for top 1st line:
- Vincent Damphousse, Jaromir Jagr and Peter Bondra of the St. Louis Blues (although Damphousse has been swapped with Weight for parts of the season).
- Pavel Bure, Ilja Kovalchuk and Pierre Turgeon of the Buffalo Sabres (although Turgeon has only recently joined the Sabres, he's been hot with 5 points in 5 games)
Second lines are always meant to provide offense - if the 2nd line can't help out the 1st line offensively, then a team is often just a one-trick pony and that leads to trouble. There are a variety of opinions on what a second line should look like, or what can work - tough with offensive skills, fast and weak is fine, strong defensively, etc. It's easier to put together a 1st line since everyone knows the first line -has- to score to be effective. But a second line can and should do more than just score goals, so it becomes more difficult to judge what makes up and what is currently the best 2nd line in the league.
Currently, the 2nd line with the most total points by a significant margin belongs to the Detroit Red Wings. The trio of Brendan Shanahan, Jeff O'Neill and Michael Peca has a total of 118 points (after 39 games). But it seems this is a recently formed line, where some of these guys have seen considerable ice time on the 1st line. Overall, if this line stays together and clicks, it will be an incredible force - with size and toughness to spare and plenty of offensive talent. In the next 10-30 games, it could be easy to call this group the top 2nd line.
Another contender from the New York Rangers is the combination of Michael Nylander, Brendan Morrison and Steve Sullivan. With a combined 85 points, these three players have helped resurrect the Rangers to respectability and towards being a top ten team offensively. But these three haven't played even close to the full season together as the Rangers have switched and swapped their top six quite often re-arranging the lines to see if something clicks. If the line gets hot and stays together one might consider this the top 2nd line in the league; while they won't put up points like some of the others, their contribution to the Rangers is possibly more significant given that the Rangers' first line isn't that much better.
Ultimately though, the San Jose Sharks as one of the best teams in the league have both the top 1st line and the top 2nd line. The Sharks have for the most part kept Todd Bertuzzi, Miroslav Satan and Simon Gagne together as the 2nd unit and all three players have responded nicely. As with their 1st line, these three have excellent balance in scoring and defensive play. After 35 games, their point totals are 35, 33 and 33, with near identical statistics in many categories. Simply put, this line could be a 1st line for almost any team, so it makes sense to see them leading the league as the top 2nd unit.
Honorable mentions for top 2nd line:
- Daymond Langkow, Bates Battaglia and Radim Vrbata of the Washington Capitals (they haven't put up tons of points but they've helped propel the team to a top spot in the East and Vrbata is only a rookie).
The 3rd line might be even harder to judge than the 2nd line - should they be scoring, playing strong defense, checking, hitting? What is the purpose of the 3rd line and what makes up a quality third trio? Most teams play three tough but decent players on this line, hoping to power their way to some offensive success but also to punish the other teams physically and remain strong defensively. More so than any other line, the 3rd line needs a true combination of strength, toughness, defensive prowess and scoring.
The first contender from the Ottawa Senators is the veteran line of Stephane Matteau, Mark Messier and Andreas Dackell. The trio of cagey vets has managed 47 points (in 35 games) with a solid +27 rating in total. It's interesting to note that most of the team is in the red when it comes to their +/- rating. While they're not the toughest gang with only 78 hits, they most definitely provide a stable force and great leadership.
The trio of Martin Havlat, Jere Lehtinen and Jamie Langenbrunner of the San Jose Sharks deserves mention as well. With 41 points, a +22, 86 hits and 98 shots this is a solid 3rd line. They're not as tough as most 3rd lines but then again the entire Sharks team is a bit on the weak side. Given the Sharks incredible offense from the 1st and 2nd lines it would seem to make sense to try and focus this 3rd line a bit more into something more distinct. While at this moment this trio is probably the most talented group of individuals to comprise a 3rd line, their purpose and definition seem somewhat unclear.
A strong contender for top 3rd line also comes from the St. Louis Blues who have recently put together Scott Walker, Jan Hlavac and Steve Konowalchuk. This line is doing it all with a total of 55 points, +21 and 168 hits. The line hasn't taken enough shots (only 78 total in 36 games) and they've only recently been put together, but if they continue to play strong, with all three going on recent point streaks, this could be the best 3rd line by the end of the year.
Ultimately the winner though is an interesting lot - a combination that few would expect to thrive as a 3rd unit. The Sabres have put together rookie Brian Gionta with veterans Sergei Zholtok and Dave Andreychuk. An odd combination considering Gionta is on the small side, Zholtok plays soft and Andreychuk is ancient. But somehow, this line works. They've combined for a total of 51 points in 36 games and managed a solid +26 rating. While they might be considered soft overall, they do have a total of 90 hits, most coming from the tiny Gionta (59). And the line has scored a solid 17 goals, which is a good amount of output for a 3rd line. It seems the Sabres have gone with a combination of speed (from Gionta and Zholtok) and incredible leadership (from Andreychuk). And their success seems to be directly impacting the success of the Sabres who remain a top contender in the Eastern Conference.
Honorable mention for top 3rd line:
- Shayne Corson, Niklas Hagman and Donald Brashear of the Florida Panthers (Corson has only recently joined the line, but Hagman the rookie and Brashear the bruiser seem to have really hit it off well).