The Greatest Playoff Lines Ever (Iconic Combos)

GAG Line: New York Rangers

The "Goal-a-Game" line that never won a Cup:

Lineup:

• Vic Hadfield (LW)
• Jean Ratelle (C)
• Rod Gilbert (RW)

Era: Late 1960s through early 1970s

Production: Scored 312 combined points in 1971-72 season alone, finishing 3-4-5 in league scoring.

Playoff Performance: Dominated regular season and carried Rangers through multiple playoff runs.

The Heartbreak: Never won Stanley Cup despite transforming Rangers into contenders and remaining beloved in franchise lore.

Legacy: Proves elite playoff lines don't always win championships. Individual brilliance can't overcome team limitations.

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Sky Line: Pittsburgh Penguins

Mario Lemieux's championship combination:

Lineup:

• Kevin Stevens (LW)
• Mario Lemieux (C)
• Jaromir Jagr (RW)

Era: Early 1990s

Championships: Dominated 1991 and 1992 Cup runs, winning back-to-back championships.

The Dominance: Lemieux and Jagr arguably two best forwards in hockey at the time. Stevens provided physical presence and goal-scoring.

Playoff Production: Overwhelmed matchups at both even strength and power play. Often facing opponents' best defensive pairings but producing anyway.

Why It Worked: Lemieux's playmaking, Jagr's skill, Stevens's physicality created perfect balance. No defensive system could contain all three.

Legacy: One of greatest playoff lines ever, backing up regular season dominance with two championships.

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Triple Crown Line: Los Angeles Kings

High-scoring trio of early 1980s:

Lineup:

• Charlie Simmer (LW)
• Marcel Dionne (C)
• Dave Taylor (RW)

Era: Early 1980s

Production: Peak offensive seasons made them most feared line in hockey during their run.

Playoff Challenge: Though not always together in deepest playoff runs, their peak impact made them legendary.

Context: Kings never reached Finals during Triple Crown era despite elite line. Ran into Oilers dynasty repeatedly.

Legacy: Like GAG Line, proves individual excellence doesn't guarantee playoff success. Dionne retired as greatest player never to win Cup.

Dynasty Production Lines

Lines that won multiple championships:

Islanders: Bossy-Trottier-Gillies (1980-1983)

The Dynasty:

• Mike Bossy (RW): Elite goal-scorer
• Bryan Trottier (C): Two-way dominance
• Clark Gillies (LW): Physical presence

Championships: Four consecutive Cups (1980-1983)

Production: Dominated playoff series throughout dynasty, facing opponents' best defensive matchups.

Balance: Bossy's finishing, Trottier's complete game, Gillies's physicality created unstoppable combination.

Oilers: Kurri-Gretzky-Tikkanen/Semenko (1984-1990)

The Dynasty:

• Jari Kurri (RW): Elite finisher
• Wayne Gretzky (C): Greatest player ever
• Esa Tikkanen (LW): Defensive forward

Championships: Five Cups in seven years

Unstoppable: Gretzky's playmaking combined with Kurri's finishing created most points in playoff history. Tikkanen provided defensive responsibility.

Variations: Sometimes Dave Semenko replaced Tikkanen for physical presence. Both versions dominated.

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Red Wings Russian Five

Not traditional three-man line but five-man unit:

Unit:

• Sergei Fedorov (C)
• Igor Larionov (C)
• Slava Kozlov (LW)
• Vladimir Konstantinov (D)
• Viacheslav Fetisov (D)

Era: Late 1990s

Championships: Two Cups (1997, 1998)

Revolutionary: Five Russians on ice together changed how teams approached line combinations. European style met North American playoffs.

Production: Dominated late-1990s Cup runs with speed, skill, and chemistry built from playing together internationally.

Tragedy: Konstantinov's career-ending accident after 1997 Cup made 1998 championship emotional.

Read more: Best Russian NHL Players of All Time

Modern Playoff Lines

Recent championship combinations:

Colorado: Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen (2022)

The Production: Nathan MacKinnon's speed, Gabriel Landeskog's leadership, Mikko Rantanen's finishing.

Championship: 2022 Cup run featured this line dominating throughout playoffs.

Tampa Bay: Palat-Point-Kucherov (2020-2021)

Back-to-Back: Dominated 2020 and 2021 playoff runs with balanced scoring.

Chemistry: Point's two-way play, Kucherov's playmaking, Palat's clutch scoring created championship combination.

Lines That Never Won Cups

Elite combinations without championships:

GAG Line (Rangers): Already covered, most famous non-Cup-winning line.

Triple Crown Line (Kings): Marcel Dionne's inability to win Cup defined career despite elite linemates.

Sedins + Burrows (Canucks): Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alexandre Burrows reached 2011 Finals but lost Game 7.

These lines prove playoff success requires team depth, not just elite top line.

Read more: Best Swedish NHL Players of All Time

Line Chemistry vs. Individual Talent

What makes great playoff lines:

Chemistry Factors:

• Playing together extensively during regular season
• Understanding each other's tendencies
• Complementary skill sets (playmaker, finisher, two-way player)

Individual Talent:

• At least one Hall of Fame caliber player
• Multiple 30-goal scorers
• Defensive responsibility

Playoff Success: Great lines dominate series but need team depth to win championships.

Ranking Methodology

How playoff lines are evaluated:

Production: Points per game as trio during playoff runs.

Championships: Cups won while playing together.

Dominance: Ability to overwhelm opponents' best defensive matchups.

Legacy: Historical reputation and memorable moments.

Sky Line (Lemieux-Jagr-Stevens) and Gretzky-Kurri-Tikkanen rank highest due to production, championships, and sustained dominance.

Read more: Best Canadian NHL Players of All Time (By Era)

The Verdict

The Sky Line (Lemieux-Jagr-Stevens) dominated early 1990s with back-to-back championships, combining Lemieux's playmaking with Jagr's skill and Stevens's physicality. Gretzky-Kurri-Tikkanen won five Cups in seven years, creating most unstoppable playoff line in NHL history.

The GAG Line (Hadfield-Ratelle-Gilbert) and Triple Crown Line (Simmer-Dionne-Taylor) prove elite combinations don't guarantee championships. Rangers and Kings lacked team depth to support their top lines.

Red Wings' Russian Five revolutionized playoff hockey with five-man European unit winning consecutive Cups. Modern lines like Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen continue tradition of elite trios dominating championship runs.

Read more: NHL Betting: The Ultimate Guide for the 2025/2026 Hockey Season

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