Passing Chemistry: Best LINE you've seen (trio of players together - not duos)

[VanIslander]

There have been countless memorable duos with any third player inserted. And there have been lines that have put up monster stats.

But in terms of passing and overall chemistry, what lines have made you think "Wow these three are perfect together?"

For me, these immediately come to mind:

The Devils' Elias-Arnott-Sykora
The Avs' Kamensky-Forsberg-C.Lemieux

Both lines moved the puck fluidly between the three of them. Despite the great passing skills of Arnott and Forsberg, the wingers on those lines were just as likely to pass to each other instead, and just as effectively.

Many surges were things of beauty.

What line of three do you remember as poetry in motion?

Click to read more...

 

[Habsfan 32]

Zednik-Koivu-Kovalev were awesome last year in the playoffs. I'd like to see what they can do for a whole season. And the Thornton line at the world cup was pretty good to see.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The LCB Line of Leach-Clarke-Barber (Flyers mid 70s) didn't last long in terms of years but when it was together it was dominating. Clarke's work ethic, Leach's rifle shot and Barber's overall game made for an incredible combo.

 

[BwayBshirt]

if i recall, didn't the wizards of Ov (federov, kozlov, larionov) play together in detroit for quite a while? (i know, bad nickname for them but i couldn't resist)

 

[hockeyfan125]

When they were clicking in 2002-2003....Naslund-Morrison-Bertuzzi was impossible to stop on most nights...

 

[Sixty Six]

Straka-Lang-Kovalev was a tremendous line here in pittsburgh

 

[Habsfan 32]

When they were clicking in 2002-2003....Naslund-Morrison-Bertuzzi was impossible to stop on most nights...

Yea that line was realy nice to see play together.

 

[isles52480]

As you'd expect, I'll toss Bossy-Trottier-Gillies out there.

The line had perfect balance; the sharpshooter, the playmaker and the muscle in front of the net.

 

[Malefic74]

A few oldies but goodies....

The French Connection in Buffalo in 75-76 was an awesome thing to behold. Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert and Rick Martin were all great passers and skaters. There were nights when it looked like they toyed with the opposition.

The line of Guy Lafeur, Pete Mahovlich and Steve Shutt were under-rated in terms of passing.

The Triple Crown line in Los Angeles featuring Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor and Charlie Simmer could just take over games with puck possession, passing and of course scoring.

But the best passing line the game of hockey has ever seen IMO is the KLM line of the Soviets. Igor Larionov, Vladimir Krutov and Sergei Makarov were simply unbelievable to watch. Three-man weaves are usually reserved for practices but they did it in games and at full speed. They were a treat to watch and in an era where everyone would rather dump it in than create we won't see their like anytime soon, if ever again.

 

[KOVALEV10*]

A few oldies but goodies....

The French Connection in Buffalo in 75-76 was an awesome thing to behold. Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert and Rick Martin were all great passers and skaters. There were nights when it looked like they toyed with the opposition.

The line of Guy Lafeur, Pete Mahovlich and Steve Shutt were under-rated in terms of passing.

The Triple Crown line in Los Angeles featuring Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor and Charlie Simmer could just take over games with puck possession, passing and of course scoring.

But the best passing line the game of hockey has ever seen IMO is the KLM line of the Soviets. Igor Larionov, Vladimir Krutov and Sergei Makarov were simply unbelievable to watch. Three-man weaves are usually reserved for practices but they did it in games and at full speed. They were a treat to watch and in an era where everyone would rather dump it in than create we won't see their like anytime soon, if ever again.

The Shutt/Lemaire/Lafleur line was the most dominant line of the 70-s. Shutt's shot was like a cannon and he also had the nack (sp?) of scoring from anywhere, Lemaire was one of the best two way players and clutch as one can be (see his 2 stanley cup winning goals) and Lafleur's playmaking mixed with his incredible shot and stickhandling made this line.

The french connection was also something to watch as well as the famous Punch Line.

 

[Gainey23]

the greatest most obvious ones:

-Shutt Lemaire Lafleur

-Anderson Gretzky Kurri
(have seen variations of this line with Messier on LW and later Tikkanen)

-Krutov Larionov Makarov
(the Green Unit was artful in its synergy)


in the '94 playoffs, Keenan fiddled with the line combos a bunch...
i remember seeing this line for a few games:

-Tikkanen Kovalev (yes, at centre) Larmer
(greatest 2nd line of all time, had they been a regular fixture for more than just one postseason).


-Fleury Lindros York
(this was a good line)

-Naslund Morrison Bertuzzi

on paper, this should have been world class:
-Kariya Forsberg Selanne
(trying to imagine what this line could have done with all three players healthy at the same time)

-Gelinas Graves Murphy
(the Kid Line)

-Lemieux Sakic Iginla

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

i may be biased but i was amazed game in and game out when the pens put together the line of lemieux - francis - jagr

 

[acr*]

Samsonov-Nylander-Bergeron was a thing of beauty for those short couple weeks last spring

 

[RorschachWJK]

But the best passing line the game of hockey has ever seen IMO is the KLM line of the Soviets. Igor Larionov, Vladimir Krutov and Sergei Makarov were simply unbelievable to watch. Three-man weaves are usually reserved for practices but they did it in games and at full speed. They were a treat to watch and in an era where everyone would rather dump it in than create we won't see their like anytime soon, if ever again.

Agreed.

 

[kmad]

-Anderson Gretzky Kurri
(have seen variations of this line with Messier on LW and later Tikkanen)

You can't forget Semenko

A personal favorite line of mine was Maltby - Draper - McCarty. Possibly the greatest checking line of all time.

 

[Zoo]

Elias-Arnott-Sykora

They where awesome to watch..

 

[salzy]

Hate to point out the obvious, but I don't believe there has ever been a line as dominant as the Lindros - Leclair - Renberg line. Too bad Clarkie had to mess with near perfection and send Renberg off to Tampa after they got so close in 97. How many wingers did the Flyers run through trying to find someone to gel with 10 & 88 as well as Renberg did?

Lemieux - Tocchet - Stevens was pretty unreal through that 92 Cup run too. Too bad Stevens broke his face the next year. He was never the same player after that.

 

[Chili]

The best line that I have seen was only together for a short time but were extremely dominant...

Lemieux, Stevens and Tocchet

The combination of skill and muscle is unmatched, imo.

Sadly injuries wore down all three players.

One line that I always respected was Dionne, Taylor and Simmer, the triple crown line. They complimented each other well and scored a ton of points.

Lemaire Shutt and Lafleur were awesome in the late seventies...and before with Pete Mahovlich in place of Lemaire.

One from the old WHA was pretty good too...Hull, Hedberg & Nilsson.

 

[Quiet Robert]

A few famous lines from a while back. Never seen them, but they still get mentioned as the great trios.

The Punch Line. Blake-Lach-Richard

The Production Line. Lindsay-Delvecchio-Howe.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

In recent memory, Leclair Lindros and Renberg clicked amazingly well back in 1995.

 

[mazmin]

The Winnipeg Jets had a young line that could do it all:
LW Tkachuk C Zhamnov RW Selanne
A powerforward a playmaker and a sniper, if the Jets had the money to keep them together there could have been some brighter days.

edit:spelling

 

[mazmin]

And of course Hull-Nilsson-Hedberg revolutionized the game... only to become derevolutionized 20 years later.

 

[MotownMadman]

Homer pick, but I was always amazed by the passing of the Russian 5 (Federov, Kozlov, Larionov, Konstantinow and Fetisov) that the Wings put together in 96 and 97. They weren't dominant in scoring but were so great to watch because both defensemen were also solid passers. I remember at times watching them weave around their opponents passing the puck back and forth and some of the players on the other team would just stand there because they didn't know what to do. It often reminded me of watching the Globetrotters play the Generals, except this wasn't staged.

 

[kmad]

A few famous lines from a while back. Never seen them, but they still get mentioned as the great trios.

The Punch Line. Blake-Lach-Richard

The Production Line. Lindsay-Delvecchio-Howe.

the kid line.. joe malone, charlie conacher and busher jackson

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

Not a line, but Kurri, Gretzky and Coffey were a dynamite trio.