The Colorado Avalanche’s top line, consisting of Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog, has been producing at a high level since the first game they skated together. With a mixture of speed, skill and a little toughness, this line can be credited with boosting the Colorado offense and possibly reviving the season for Duchene.
Since its creation, it has felt like this line has carried most of the weight in scoring and ice time, but the reality is, they have not been leaned on as heavily as it appears. The weight will only continue to be distributed throughout the team as the Avalanche have found themselves in a scoring groove.
To many, it may seem as if the top line has been logging a dangerous amount of ice time. Many would say that playing the first line as frequently as head coach Patrick Roy does is putting them at risk for injury or fatigue in the long run of the season. The fact is that the frequency with which the line is being used may be high, but the time they are spending on the ice is about average for any first line throughout the NHL. All three are in the top 50 in the league in ice time, but none of them are near Buffalo’s Ryan O’Reilly, who leads the league in TOI and averages near 22 minutes per game.
The Avalanche are in the top 10 of the league’s goals-for and goals-per-game categories. The Avs have scored at least three goals in six of their latest seven. It is encouraging that the team has been getting a lot of goals, but even more so that the goals are coming from all four lines. From Duchene’s scoring almost nightly, to Blake Comeau starting to find some offensive production, all the way down to newly acquired Chris Wagner burying a few goals, the Avalanche have found scoring consistency in the fact that scoring is coming from top to bottom.
The recent play of the other three lines has allowed coach Roy to trust them with more ice time, especially in important situations. The ability to use the other lines without fear lets the Avalanche use the top line aggressively in offensive situations. They have been able to let the top line focus on offense, having some relief defensively due to not having to face tough, top-line matchups. The opposing top lines are being handled by the sound defensive play of the other line combinations allowing coach Roy the freedom to play the first line at will.
The return of John Mitchell and Alex Tanguay will help the offensive production for Colorado, both being key skilled members of the team. Tanguay, skating with Jarome Iginla and Mikail Grigorenko in the middle should add another goal here and there, taking more pressure off of the first unit. Tanguay and Iginla together display teamwork that is unlike any other duo in the league, and the high hockey IQ between the two makes them a legitimate offensive threat. John Mitchell’s return adds important offensive depth as well. The skill he brings to the lineup and his positional versatility could arguably make him a top-six player on this Avalanche squad. Tanguay and Mitchell both bring a lot of leadership and experience as well, which could help lead the Avalanche back to wild card contention.
Colorado’s first line is logging a lot of minutes, but they are being used wisely. Not having to rely on them to matchup defensively allows flexibility, which is letting coach Patrick Roy use them in smart, strategic ways. The depth of the roster seems to finally be an advantage for the Avalanche now that they have found scoring from every line. Having three strong lines behind the powerful top line is what they have strived for all year; now it is just a matter of their ability to remain consistent. Consistency has typically been one of the bigger issues for the Avs in recent years.
