Carter, Toffoli, and Milan Lucic have been the LA Kings best line this year. There is really no questioning that. The trio have clicked in a way that the Kopitar/Gaborik/Lucic line was anticipated to.
They have led the way offensively for the Kings, as they rank 1st, 2nd, and 4th on the team in scoring. Carter and Toffoli also lead the Kings with 9 and 11 goals respectively. Advanced stats, likewise, are very good.
To really appreciate the beauty of the Carter line and what they do to opponents, you have to dive into a shift and watch them work in the offensive zone. That's what we are going to do today.
There are some really fun attributes to this line.
They are effective at possessing the puck along the halfwall. They are effective at cycling the puck. They are also skilled enough to maneuver in space when not cycling.
One of the other key features is their constant movement and exploitation of space OFF the puck. While the trio have some incredibly effective shifts where the puck carrier seems to do all the work, the space that is generated comes from movement and misdirection from the players off the puck.
Let's take a look at one of their best shifts from the Edmonton game back on November 14th.
Here is the very first part:
First off, Carter wins a faceoff before this GIF starts. That has been an issue with Carter this year, as his faceoff numbers have dropped precipitously from his 2014-15 totals. On this occasion though, he wins it! Rejoice!
Toffoli dumps it down, Lucic establishes position on the Edmonton forward, and Carter falls in line to support him. While it doesn't seem significant, this is the very beginning of a mentality that wears on the Edmonton D.
Toffoli, after dumping the puck, turns and comes in from the blue line and starts doing what this line has done best. Expose space.
Toffoli's whole purpose during this section of the play is to A) find himself space and B) try and create more space for the puck carrier AND for Carter by being a constant buzzing threat in front of the net.
Constant movement off the puck and attempting to find and create space. Didn't work the first time? Try again. All eyes are on the puck, and Toffoli is still hovering with no one paying THAT close attention.
Here is where it gets good. There is going to be a lot going on in this photo but we will break it down.
Lucic finally beats his man 1v1 on the halfwall, a key breakdown in this shift. He has one of two thoughts and the main one, highlighted by the dotted line in blue, is to take it straight to the net. This is dependent on a few things though, and the split second decision making of both defenders and Lucic should be praised. This is where hockey becomes a game of inches and a game of simple split second decisions.
The Carter line is excellent at dragging defenders away from their targets. Toffoli is attempting to do this with Oilers defenseman Andrej Sekera. If Toffoli decides to push in on net, showed with the green arrows, then Sekera is likely to follow him to keep him in check. That is, if Sekera wasn't aware of the play at hand. While Sekera originally takes a step back towards Toffoli, he checks himself and continues to establish in front of the net in order to limit Lucic's chance. Less experienced defenders would easily have been drug away by Toffoli being a nuisance in front, allowing Lucic to walk straight in on goal.
The other key defensive aspect hinges on the circled player on Edmonton. If that forward fails to step in and pressure the puck carrier, then it leaves Sekera and the defender in front between a rock and a hard place. If they do step in, Lucic can play the puck back to the point. From there the Kings have a clear point shot with two forwards in front (Lucic-Toffoli), and Carter waiting to the side for a second/third chance or a puck retrieval.
Here is what happens in real speed:
Toffoli's main attempt at creating a lane for Lucic somewhat fails due to Sekera being disciplined. However, the Kings still get a decent chance due to the 1v1 breakdown and the hesitant nature of the Oilers forwards. This, at its core, is what the Carter line does well. They press defenders into decisions by being active both on and off the puck.
So what happens then? Well, the play went into the corner, Carter retrieved it, and the grind starts all over again on the same defensive group. Except this time, instead of Toffoli actively creating space off the puck, it's Lucic. Toffoli's role now shifts to helping Carter stay on the puck and hopefully create a breakdown.
This play is incredibly similar to the previous one. Except the breakdown comes on misdirection from the two players battling on the boards. Carter and Toffoli crossover and one point and swap positions on the wall.
Uh oh, both focused on Carter, while Toffoli starts to drift away behind the defender.
Without fail, Toffoli and Carter, both now a step ahead of their marks, do a nice give and go and Carter drives the net with the puck.
All in the meantime, Lucic is hovering around the circles drawing Sekera away from the front of the net with his constant presence.
While this is a singular shift, this kind of play in the opposing zone is constant throughout the game whenever this line gets the puck. Now obviously the breakdowns are a little easier to see in this regard since the Oilers have a rather young defense that are not used to misdirection and rotations like this. Sekera, for the most part, does a pretty decent job in holding down the front of the net and not getting completely sucked out of the way. His forward support though is somewhat lacking and stationary, thus making the Kings pressure and puck possession a constant problem.
This is a constant mentality with this line. They did it throughout the game, they do it pretty much every game, and it leads to goals. Check out a GIF of the moments right before the LA Kings third goal in that very same game against Edmonton. We could do a whole breaking down breakdowns post about this very goal. Alas, since you already have seen what the Carter line tries to do and how it impacts defenses, I'll let you view this and dissect it on your own.
Instead of Sekera out there for the Oilers, it was Gryba and Reinhart. It was also a forward line of Andrew Miller, Eberle, and Pouliot. The rotation throws the Oilers completely out of whack, and this still is probably the best summation of what happened.
Miller and Eberle could be holding hands at the point, as could Gryba and Reinhart. The puck movement was so quick, and the movement off the puck was so crisp, that both sets of players got caught moving to the same attacking players. Twice. In two separate areas of the ice. In the end it was a nice easy walk in goal for the Carter line.
While there are many other aspects to this line that make them effective, their heads up play on and off the puck and their willingness to challenge defenders 1v1, is what is making them the best Kings line of the season. You can always toss out the caveat of "This is the Oilers defense, it won't always be that easy." However, this is a difficult thing to deal with for defenders. The split second positioning and puck decisions that have to be made are demanding. Some very good teams have had problems dealing with the Carter line, so the Oilers should not be held over a barrel for this kind of stuff. You would definitely have to hope that McClellan did a video session afterwards though! In this instance, you can also see what a difference a good heads up defenseman makes. Sekera did a good job staying disciplined in front versus getting drawn away from the net ala Reinhart. The latter is very young though, and sometimes lessons are learned the hard way.
Keep an eye on the dominating cycle of the Carter line in your own viewings as we march further into the doldrums of the midseason. When they turn it on, it really is a pleasure to watch in the offensive zone.
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