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In this edition of the hotstove we share our picks for the best line in the NHL.
Todd Cordell
I'm going with the Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - David Pastrnak trio.
In a little more than 400 minutes together at 5v5 they have controlled 63%(!) of the shot attempts and own a plus-6 goal differential.
To go with the great underlying numbers, Marchand is producing at a 77 point pace, Pastrnak is on pace for 38 goals, and Bergeron on pace for ~20 goals and 40+ points despite shooting 6%, just over half of his career average heading into the season.
This line is fantastic at both ends of the rink and, to me, is as good as it gets.
My runner up would be the Matthew Tkachuk - Mikael Backlund - Michael Frolik line in Calgary. They don't get talked about much outside of Calgary, but they have been terrorizing teams from the word go.
Peter Tessier
So when I looked at lines I stopped thinking about traditional combos and decided to look at it by time on ice together at even strength. At just over half way through the season there are few combinations that have played more than 300 minutes together at 5v5 so I dropped it to 200 minutes. After that I looked at Corsi %.
The Ansimov, Panarin Kane line is simply amazing but there are not my choice.
One thing I consider with a line is how well they shoot together. Basically, are they so dynamic that they create chances/opportunities that others do not. The APK line is not that elite with their on-ice shooting %. The tops is Ehlers, Scheifele and Laine but they are hardly a sound defensive trio either.
The line I really like is Koivu, Granlund and Zucker from the Wild. Not only are they shooting well they have a sustainable and sensible possession rate as well as an unbelievable on-ice save % too.
I know there's lots of holes in how I relate these numbers but for my money with the way the Wild are playing these guys are the unsung top line in the league right now and deserve more attention. Even more so when you look at your expected goal rates for, against and at per 60 minutes of play.
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