In its 104-year historical past, the Nationwide Hockey League has seen some phenomenal gamers, and followers have been blessed sufficient to see these gamers be a part of forces as linemates. A few of these traces have been branded with titles to make them much more memorable. Well-known ones embody the Buffalo Sabres “French Connection” of Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, and Rene Robert, or the Philadelphia Flyers’ “Legion of Doom” consisting of John LeClair, Eric Lindros, and Mikael Renberg.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have had the identical luxurious since they joined the league in 1967. We’ll run down among the most notable Pens traces to take the ice.
An honorable point out ought to first be given to “The Firing Line.” Evgeni Malkin, Chris Kunitz, and James Neal joined forces within the 2011-12 season and had been the three high goalscorers for the Penguins. They produced 40% of the crew’s objectives that season.
The HBK Line
Who might neglect the heroics of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Phil Kessel throughout the 2016 Stanley Cup run? All three had been new additions to the crew and mixed for 20 objectives and 56 factors within the postseason. The identify is made up of the primary preliminary of every participant’s final identify, which matched that of WWE famous person Shawn Michaels’ nickname, the Heartbreak Child.
The road gained a lot of its fame throughout the Jap Convention Semifinals in opposition to the Washington Capitals. Hagelin, Kessel, and Bonino had been one, two, and three in crew scoring, respectively. Bonino additionally scored one of the memorable objectives in current Penguins historical past, with the extra time winner within the deciding recreation of that collection. In the identical recreation, Hagelin scored, whereas Kessel had a pair of objectives.
The road grew to become so iconic that the Penguins invited the Heartbreak Child himself to a recreation, and, for a restricted time, Pittsburgh’s Primanti Brothers created a sandwich with the identical identify, made with ham, bacon, and kielbasa.
The road could have light after the 2016 postseason, and all three gamers departed from Pittsburgh earlier than the flip of the last decade, however the recollections that they created will reside on in Penguins’ lore.
The Century Line
The trio of Syl Apps Jr., Lowell MacDonald, and Jean Pronovost was given the moniker after they mixed for over 100 objectives and 200 factors in 4 straight seasons. From 1972-73 to 1975-76, their scoring prowess helped the Penguins obtain a document above .500 for the primary and second time in franchise historical past. They had been a spark for an enlargement crew that was struggling to search out success and recognition, not simply within the NHL, however in its personal metropolis.
Additionally known as the “Bicentennial Line,” due to these 200-point seasons, it was the primary time the league started to take discover of the Penguins. Together with Apps, MacDonald, and Pronovost had been different excellent gamers like Ron Stackhouse, Dave Burrows, Rick Kehoe, and Pierre Larouche who had 111 factors within the 1975-76 season.
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After the primary season of their iconic run in 1972-73, MacDonald was awarded the Invoice Masterton Trophy for his distinctive perseverance and sportsmanship. That season, he returned from a knee damage that compelled him to overlook a lot of the 1970-71 season and all the 1971-72 season. He put up 34 objectives and 75 factors in 78 video games.
The road could not have seen success within the type of a championship or scoring title, but it surely was necessary for the Penguins to achieve momentum and recognition; the Century Line did simply that.
The Skyline
Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr on a line collectively is unhealthy sufficient for opposing groups, then add Kevin Stevens and it’s a recipe for catastrophe. Their joint forces result in one of the best season the Penguins had ever seen; a crew that many gamers would say was one of the best they performed for.
The identify “Skyline” referred to the towering top of the three skaters. The common top of an NHL participant right now is 6-foot-1, Lemieux stood at 6-foot-4 whereas Stevens and Jagr had been each 6-foot-3.
Add every participant’s talent to the combo and the Skyline produced a mixed 365 factors within the 1992-93 season. Lemieux missed 24 video games that season and nonetheless led the league in factors with 160. Stevens additionally missed 12 video games and was in a position to document 111 factors. Jagr posted a then-career-high 94 factors.
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The Penguins, with the assistance of the Skyline, gained the franchise’s solely Presidents’ Trophy, ending the season with a 56-21-7 document and 119 factors. The three mixed for twenty-four game-winning objectives.
Ron Francis, Lemieux, Jagr
Swap out Stevens with Ron Francis and you’ve got three of the top-10 level scorers in NHL historical past on the identical line. No different crew can say they’ve carried out that. This line didn’t have an official title however was generally known as “The Nice Line” and it’s arguably the best line in crew (or league) historical past.
At the beginning of the 1995-96 season, Lemieux was getting back from again surgical procedure that had stored him out for effectively over a season. Whereas Jagr was coming off of an Artwork Ross season, he advised that Lemieux transfer to the wing and let Francis step in at middle. It labored tremendously for the three as they every put up over 110 factors that season to guide the league; Lemieux led the league with 161 factors, Jagr was second with 149 factors, and Francis had a career-high 119 factors, mixed for a complete of 429 factors between the three of them.
Lemieux’s season ended with the Artwork Ross Trophy, Lester B. Pearson Award, and a Hart Trophy. He additionally reached the 50-goals-in-50-games mark for the third time in his profession. His 69 objectives and 92 assists had been additionally tops within the league.
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That season, the Penguins additionally featured Petr Nedved, who put up 99 factors. The crew made it to the Jap Convention Remaining, dropping to the “Rat Trick” Florida Panthers in seven video games.
The league is totally different from the times of “The Manufacturing Line” from Detroit, or the “Punch Line” in Montreal, however having a trio of forwards who’re in a position to construct chemistry and grow to be a pressure is a should on each crew.
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The Penguins, over time, have made a reputation for themselves for his or her spectacular mixtures, and that didn’t cease with “Sid and his Youngsters,” a line with Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, and one other younger ahead. Up to now, the younger ahead was Conor Sheary or Bryan Rust. The mixture often grew to become a direct fan favourite within the metropolis.
