After a disappointing 2015-16 campaign, the Calgary Flames bounced back by qualifying for the playoffs in 2016-17.
As is always the case with any good team, there were a lot of reasons for their success but perhaps none bigger than the play of Mark Giordano and Dougie Hamilton.
After a handful of games behind the bench, Glen Gulutzan decided to put the two together and they were downright dominant for the remainder of the season.
In terms of a) driving play and; b) getting results on the scoreboard, no pairing in the NHL was more effective.
Note: if you're wondering why a certain pairing isn't listed, they either didn't play enough minutes together or garner good enough results to make the top-12.
I like to use possession and goals when evaluating a pairing because it helps paint a bigger picture.
Obviously, goals are most important -- outscoring the opposition is the objective of hockey -- but if a team fares well in that regard despite being out shot, out possessed, etc. it is probably more luck than skill driven.
From the other end of the spectrum, helping your team outplay the opposition only means so much if the results aren't there.
The Giordano - Hamilton pairing was great in both regards as, among the best eligible pairings listed, they had the highest Corsi For% and Goals For%.
With both guys in the picture long-term, the Flames have their top pairing set for years to come. Now they need to find a capable defenseman to pair with T.J. Brodie.
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