Commentary

Will Panthers' top line stay hot?

Despite the scoring flurry, signs point to Versteeg and Co. slowing down

Originally Published: December 13, 2011
By Neil Greenberg | ESPN Insider

Hockey history is filled with forward lines that lit up the score sheet. There was the famed Production Line in Detroit of hockey legends Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay and Sid Abel, who finished 1-2-3 in NHL scoring during the 1947-48 season. The Buffalo Sabres had the French Connection of Gil Perreault, Rene Robert and Rick Martin, who led the team to the franchise's first Stanley Cup finals appearance, while the Los Angeles Kings iced the Triple Crown Line of Dave Taylor, Charlie Simmer and Marcel Dionne, who during their peak each averaged 51 goals, 61 assists and 112 points.

This year, the league's most prolific line is comprised of Kris Versteeg, Tomas Fleischmann and Stephen Weiss of the Florida Panthers.

"I'm playing with great guys on the same line," said Fleischmann before a 5-4 victory against his former team, the Washington Capitals. "We always find the best option and it's just working right now."

Will hockey's most lethal trio keep it going?


To read what Neil Greenberg thinks about the Florida Panthers' high-scoring forward line, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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