Los Angeles Kings Would be Lost Without “That ’70s Line”
By PowerPlayCJ
@powerplaywithcj
Getty Images
During the Los Angeles Kings’ Stanley Cup run last summer, the team’s second line of veteran Jeff Carter centering youngsters Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson came up aces time and time again.
Throughout the proverbial hockey world the line was dubbed “That ’70s Line” as a tribute to the classic TV show and the players’ jersey numbers- Pearson wears 70, Toffoli wears 73 and Carter, 77. This season the line has picked up right where it has left off as the trio has been the Kings’ best line through the team’s first five games.
The three players combined for six points in the Kings’ win over the Edmonton Oilers and have shown absolutely no signs of slowing down. Coming into the Edmonton game they had been the only reliable source of offense for the Kings and in many ways were the only factor that kept the Kings from starting 0-3.
With the rest of the team’s forwards beginning to find their way, the Kings are starting to resemble the juggernaut that won the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cups.
The team will need to return to the offense-by-committee approach with all four lines contributing that’s made it successful in years past going forward. Having said that, expect “That ’70s Line” to be a focal point of the team’s offense for the duration of the season.
If the sitcom could run for nearly a decade, the line should be able to run for the season and Kings fans hope through another Stanley Cup run.
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