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Where have all the great lines gone?

Sporting News, The, Jan 22, 2001 by Chris Stevenson

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That's not to say teams haven't found a way to keep terrific trios together on occasion.

Lemieux's stunning comeback has revitalized the Penguins and created the most explosive offensive line, since ... well, the last season Lemieux played. That was 1996-97, when he teamed with Jagr and Ron Francis, and they combined for 307 points.

(Another staggering number to consider: If that line were intact today in normal market conditions, it would cost the Penguins close to $30 million, the total payroll for close to half of the teams in the league. In this comeback, Lemieux, the Penguins' owner, is making the league's average salary, about $1.4 million. He would be worth at least $10 million otherwise.)

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Lemieux rarely has been part of a big line in his 13-year career. (Remember wingers Rob Brown and Warren Young? That's OK. Not many do.) This time, he has Jagr as an obvious linemate, and Hrdina has been a top-flight complement.

"I think (Hrdina)'s perfect for us," Lemieux says. "Jan's a defensive player, and he's concentrating on the defense, which is giving us the opportunity to play our game.

"Jan's played with Jagr for a couple of years and I thought he was the best guy to play with us."

Lemieux's former/new linemate agrees Hrdina is a good fit. "He didn't have to adjust to two guys--only to Mario," Jagr says. "He knows how I play. It's a tough job for him. It's a lot of work for him. He plays down low. He can forecheck well. He knows how to pass, and that's very important."

Some thought went into making up that line. In other cases, it's tougher to explain why a line clicks so well. That precise question was put to Bonk.

He thought about it for a minute. He looked down between his skates. His brow furrowed.

"I don't know," he says. "It just does."

Sometimes you just can't put a finger--or a name--on it.

By the decade

A decade-by-decade rundown of some of the best lines in the history of the NHL:

1930s Toronto's Kid Line: Joe Primeau-Charlie Conacher-Harvey "Busher" Jackson. First line to master the forward pass in the offensive zone.

1940s Boston's Kraut Line: Bobby Bauer-Milt Schmidt-Woody Dumart. All three were born in Kitchener, Ontario, which was called Berlin before World War II.

Chicago's Pony Line: Bill Mosienko-Max Bentley-Doug Bentley, Named for its speed.

Montreal's Punch Line: Toe Blake-Elmer Lach-Maurice "Rocket" Richard. Finished 1-2-3 in scoring in 1944-45.

1950s Detroit's Production Line: Gordie Howe-Sid Abel-Ted Lindsay. Finished 1-2-3 in scoring in 1949-50.

Boston's Uke Line: Johnny Bucyk-Bronco Horvath-Vic Stasiuk. Named for the players' Ukranian heritage, even though Horvath was Hungarian.

1960s Chicago's Scooter Line: Ken Wharram-Doug Mohns-Stan Mikita. Each member had five straight seasons of 20 goals or more.

1970s New York's Goal-A-Game (GAG) Line: Rod Gilbert-Jean Ratelle-Vic Hadfield. Produced 139 goals and 173 assists for 312 points in 1971-72.

Where have all the great lines gone?

Sporting News, The, Jan 22, 2001 by Chris Stevenson

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