The best 'checking line' You ever saw?

[Randall Graves*]

It is a huge part of todays NHL, and really a role/line that often is underappreciated, so name the best checking lines in NHL history or that you've seen.

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[Padan]

Shjon Podein-Stephane Yelle-Eric Messier was great in the finals 2001.

 

[bfire]

Kris Draper - Kirt Maltby - Darin McCarty

 

[pitseleh]

The grind line is the best I've seen since I've been watching hockey. I'm sure there have been better ones in the past (guys on early 80's Islanders and 70's Canadians come to mind), but in my years, they take the cake.

 

[JCD]

The "Minnesota Line" of Joel Otto, Shjon Podein and Trent Klatt was great for the Flyers.

 

[Quiet Robert]

How about Gainey-Carbonneau-Nilan

Great line. 7 Selke's between Gainey and Carbo combined with Nilan's toughness.

 

[Zoo]

Yep my pick would have to go to the Grind Line

Here's a few that come to mind

Devils
Pandolfo - Madden - Marshall

Sharks
Sundstrom - Ricci - Thornton

Capitals
Konowalchuk - Halparn - Dahlen

Stars = Gruppy Old Men Line
Keane - Muller - McLean

Devils = Crash Line
Pelso - Holik - McKay

 

[Clarence Beeks]

Kris Draper - Kirt Maltby - Darin McCarty

Amen to that! One of my favorite lines of all time.

 

[Chili]

Gainey Jarvis Chartraw. Gainey was fast tenacious and was a great body checker, Jarvis was a whiz at faceoffs and Chartraw was muscle that could skate.

 

[DTownWingsfan]

Kris Draper - Kirt Maltby - Darin McCarty

That was a good one, but the original Grindline was good too.

Maltby-Draper-Kocur

 

[Snap Wilson]

Gainey-Jarvis-Roberts

 

[Snap Wilson]

Gainey Jarvis Chartraw. Gainey was fast tenacious and was a great body checker, Jarvis was a whiz at faceoffs and Chartraw was muscle that could skate.

Chartraw was a defenseman.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

Chartraw was a defenseman.

He was also a winger.

 

[Trottier]

Gainey-Jarvis-Roberts

Hands down. Habs fourth line, circa late 70s.

Think those teams were deep?

 

[crashlanding]

Devils = Crash Line
Peluso - Holik - McKay

God I loved that line, talk about one of the best 4th lines evar. Randy McKay's OT winning goal against the B's in '95 for the 1-0 win still sticks in my mind. He scored and jumped onto the glass and reached over to get the fans involved, what a moment.

I have to say though, Pandolfo Madden Brylin > Pandolfo Madden Marshall so far, Brylin has been playing amazingly thus far.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

In the mid to late 70's and 80's and into the early 90's the Habs had some really great checking line players. IMO they set the standard for checking lines. There were years where they probably had the two best checking lines. 20 years of checking line excellence. Here are some of the players:

Gainey
Jarvis
Roberts
Chartraw
Risebrough
Charbonneau
Nilan
Mcphee
Skrudland
Gilchrist
Keane

 

[MXD]

Habs lines are simply not on the same planet than other ones mentionned...

The worst is, not only you had to deal with Gainey/Jarvis/Roberts, but you also had Tremblay/Risebrough/Lambert...

And later came Gainey/Carbo/Nilan, along with McPhee/TheScrew/Corson, add it up with Claude Lemieux...

 

[Heat McManus]

Yep my pick would have to go to the Grind Line

Devils
Pandolfo - Madden - Marshall

Devils = Crash Line
Pelso - Holik - McKay

These two are the ones that came to mind. Probably because I'm a Devils fan born in 1982.

 

[Chili]

Chartraw was a defenseman.

His natural position was defense but with the Habs he played forward during their last dynasty.

I can remember that when the Habs were down a defenceman in a game it was Gainey who would drop back on the blueline (happened several times).

 

[BM67]

Ramsay - Luce - Gare.

Not only one of the best checking lines ever, but probably the best #2 line in the mid-70s NHL.

74-75
Ramsay 80 26 38 64 +51
Luce 80 33 43 76 +61
Gare 78 31 31 62 +40
75-76
Ramsay 80 22 49 71 +44
Luce 77 21 49 70 +37
Gare 79 50 23 73 +32

 

[VanIslander]

The Stars' checking line of Muller - Carbonneau - Keane

which rocked the 2000 NHL playoffs

until they hit New Jersey in the finals.

The two wingers on the line scored in losses that series, but they lost the final game in 2OT.

 

[tony d]

Gainey and Carbonneau together was good as it was. I could have been the right winger on that line and it would still be a good checking line.

 

[silkyjohnson50]

A year after this thread was created, Moen-Pahlsson-Niedermayer had one of the finest seasons and postseasons I've seen.

 

[BobbyAwe]

Marcotte- Sanderson - Westfall

 

[Talisman]

God I loved that line, talk about one of the best 4th lines evar. Randy McKay's OT winning goal against the B's in '95 for the 1-0 win still sticks in my mind. He scored and jumped onto the glass and reached over to get the fans involved, what a moment.

I have to say though, Pandolfo Madden Brylin > Pandolfo Madden Marshall so far, Brylin has been playing amazingly thus far.

i remember crash line most of devils stanley cup 1995 !!. but were they all ready good line in devils 1993-94 playoffs run and after that 1995 stanley cup??.