Canucks’ 3rd Line Could Be Next Great Stanley Cup-Winning Line

The Vancouver Canucks entered the holiday break atop the NHL standings for the first time in franchise history and are well on their way to making the playoffs. Many things can be attributed to this amazing result, including, but not limited to, the monster seasons from JT Miller, Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, and Quinn Hughes and the rock-solid goaltending tandem of Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith. But, arguably the biggest reason for their dramatic upswing is the consistent two-way performance from their checking line of Conor Garland, Teddy Blueger and Dakota Joshua.

This uber-trio has been together since Blueger returned from injury on Nov. 12 against the Montreal Canadiens, and they have never been broken up – even when head coach Rick Tocchet decides to juggle his lines in-game. They have become the Canucks’ ultimate energy line providing not just good defensive play, but a surprising amount of offence as well. So much so that they resemble some other iconic checking lines of the past – trios that were big reasons for Stanley Cup championships. Could they join that exclusive club in a few months? Time will tell, but until then, let’s look at a couple of those Stanley Cup-winning line combos and see how they compare.

Travis Moen, Sammy Pahlsson, Rob Niedermayer (Anaheim Ducks – 2007)

Going back to the 2007 Playoffs, the line of Travis Moen, Sammy Pahlsson and Rob Niedermayer was beyond hell to play against. They not only shut down the best of the best when it comes to top lines, but they also outscored them. The adage holds true with this line, how can someone score when they don’t have the puck? They were relentless on the forecheck, physical in the corners and frustrated some of the top stars in the NHL including Marian Gaborik, Pavel Datsyuk, and the Canucks own Daniel and Henrik Sedin on their path to the Stanley Cup. During the playoffs, they combined for 15 goals and 34 points and were a huge reason why they came away with the ultimate prize.

Moen = Joshua

Moen was a lot like Joshua, big, physical, and never backed down from a fight. He also could put the puck in the net when given the chance. He scored 11 goals and 21 points in the regular season and seven goals and 12 points in the playoffs. While hits weren’t tracked until the next season (2007-08), he eclipsed the 100-hit plateau four times in his career and finished with 956 when he retired after the 2015-16…