The 5 Greatest NHL Lines of All-Time
The Best Ice Hockey Lines in NHL History
In Ice Hockey, the scoring line’s performance is only as good as the players who are in it.
Who are the Best Ice Hockey Lines ever?
The legendary Tampa Bay Lightning line
When the right combination of players comes together on offense, it can be deadly and devastating for the goalie to defend.
In this article, we will discuss some of the greatest NHL lines of all time. These players have threatened even the best defensive players throughout the years!
Line: Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Essa Tikanen
Nickname: Finnish sandwich
This nickname is derived from the fact that Kurri and Tikkanen are both from Finland.
Season: 1983-1988
During this time, Wayne Gretzkey, Jari Kurri and Essa Tikanen played with the Edmonton Oilers.
What made them so good?
All three players brought something different to the line, which made it harder to game plan for defenses.
For Gretzky, it was his scoring ability, for Tikkanen it was his physicality.
Along with Kurri’s uncanny ability to get to the right place when away from the puck, they made an incredible team.
What did they accomplish?
The Finnish sandwich won the Stanley Cup in 1988 with the Edmonton Oilers
Line: Phil Esposito, Wayne Cashman and Ken Hodge
Nickname: Nitroline
This nickname came from the line’s explosiveness while on the ice.
Season: 1967-1975
During this time, Phil Esposito, Wayne Cashman and Ken Hodge played together.
Phil Esposito, a player the Bruins acquired in a blockbuster deal, became the first player to score 100 points in history during an NHL season.
What made them so good?
Just like the other lines in this article, these three had a variety of strengths.
Esposito was the scorer, Cashman was the physical player and Ken Hodge was also a deadly scorer.
What did they accomplish?
They won the Stanley Cup in 1969-1970 and 1971-1972.
Line: Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pasternak
Nickname: Perfection line
Season: 2017-18 to present
This line currently plays for the Boston Bruins.
What makes them so good?
This team are so good because they provide a blend of talent within the line.
Marchand uses physical play, along with the scoring abilities of Bergeron and Pasternak.
What did they accomplish?
These players have never won the Stanley Cup, but they experienced a dominant season in 2022.
They are currently first in the Eastern Conference at 28-4-4, four points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes (25-6-6) and eight points ahead of the Maple Leafs (23-8-6).
Line: Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat
Nickname: Triplets of Tampa Bay Lightning
Season: 2014-2015
The Tampa Bay line tried to make it work in future seasons too, but injuries prevented them.
What made them so good?
According to Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper, they were the perfect combination of speed and skill.
What did they accomplish?
Although this line only played one full season together, the triplets made the Stanley Cup but bowed out to the Chicago Blackhawks.
So what do all of these lines have in common?
All of these lines have been to the Stanley Cup.
This proves that if you put the right combination of people together, and they are strong enough, it is almost inevitable that the team will end up in the Stanley Cup!
Have an opinion on which NHL teams have the greatest line of all time? Let us know below if you disagree with our picks. 👇
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