Greater than the sum of their parts
PRODUCTION LINE
Sid Abel, Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay certainly lived up to their moniker with the Detroit Red Wings.
The Production Line finished 1-2-3 in the league scoring race in 1949-50. Lindsay led the way with 78 points, nine more than Abel and 10 more than Howe.
The Red Wings went on to beat the New York Rangers in a sevengame Stanley Cup final in 1950, despite losing Howe to injury in the opening game of the semifinals.
Howe returned next season and led the NHL in goals (43) and points (86).
The Red Wings were unable to defend their title but they did hoist the Cup again in three of the next four years.
PUNCH LINE
Goaltenders would fret when they saw the imposing line of Elmer Lach, Maurice (Rocket) Richard and Toe Blake flying down the ice for the Montreal Canadiens.
The Punch Line offered a punishing combination of speed, scoring punch and some physical play that consistently kept the opposition on their heels.
Head coach Dick Irvin put the three forwards together at practice during the 1943-44 season and they helped lead the Habs to a Stanley Cup.
Lach won a scoring title the next year with 80 points and the line combined for 220 points as a unit that season, a record that stood for over two decades.
LEGION OF DOOM
Eric Lindros, Mikael Renberg and John LeClair made up one of the most intimidating lines in hockey when they played together for the Philadelphia Flyers in the mid-1990s.
All three were 6-foot-2 or taller and all three weighed more than 230 pounds.
That physical presence helped them pile up the points as they threw their weight around on the forecheck and banged in rebounds after staking out the front of the net.
The linemates also showed a deft scoring touch. Lindros won the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 1995 while LeClair posted two straight 97-point seasons.
Injuries helped lead to the line’s breakup after an impressive 2.5-season run.
FRENCH CONNECTION
The members of this famous line — Gil Perreault, Rene Robert and Rick Martin — were a force with the Buffalo Sabres in the 1970s.
They delivered a strong run of production together, recording 1,681 points over 1,536 games from 1972-79.
Their retired number banners — Robert’s No. 14, Perreault’s No. 11 and Martin’s No. 7 — hang together in a row at the KeyBank Center.
Statues of the three players are also displayed outside the arena.