Ducks toe one mighty fine line

The Blackhawks lost to a line with no name Saturday night in the United Center.

Corey Perry on one wing … Ryan Getzlaf at center … Bobby Ryan on the other wing.

If the Sedin line in Vancouver isn't the best line in the National Hockey League, the Getzlaf line in Anaheim must be.

As Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said of his trio, “If you look at size, look at the skill and compete level, they're pretty dynamic.”

Too dynamic for the Hawks on this night as Getzlaf and Ryan set up Perry for 2 third-period goals in Anaheim's 2-1 victory.

“That's as dangerous a line as we're going to face,” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said.

Maybe the Hawks' problem was that it's playing with one wing tied behind its back: Patrick Sharp has been missing for a week with a left-knee injury.

The Hawks got hot when Sharp was inserted on the first line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Now the best Quenneville can hope for is that Sharp will return sometime before the playoffs, or for the playoffs if the Hawks manage to make them.

This game against Anaheim was a big one in the Western Conference race. The Ducks moved into seventh place; the Hawks dropped to eighth and final playoff spot, 2 points ahead of the Stars.

“(The Getzlaf line) proved tonight they can take our team and lead us,” Carlyle said.

How sad that the NHL doesn't have as many consistent, enduring, prominent lines as it did 20, 30, 50 years ago and beyond.

I remember growing up when the Red Wings had Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio and Frank Mahovlich together as the Production Line II, named for Detroit's automobile assembly lines.

The Hawks had the Scooter Line back then with Doug Mohns, Stan Mikita and Kenny Wharram. Later came the Party Line with Al Secord, Denis Savard and Steve Larmer.

Hockey lines used to have colorful nicknames like that. You know, like the French Connection Line in Buffalo, the Donut Line in Montreal because it didn't have a true center, the Uke Line in Boston.

The NHL could market lines like that with familiar high-scoring combinations and appropriate labels to go with them.

Perry said when asked whether his Anaheim has a nickname at least on the West Coast, “No, I don't think so.”

Just like that.

Anyway, the Ducks' big shooters have been together three years but otherwise it's hard to keep NHL lines together for three weeks in the 21st century.

“For sure, it is (difficult),” Carlyle said. “There's pressure to win every game. If a line isn't going well together, there are always moves to make.”

Carlyle admits to having tinkered with his top line at times, but it sure looks like he'd be crazy to mess with it these days.

Instead Carlyle plays this line, and plays it and plays it and plays it. Perry and Getzlaf were on the ice for nearly 25 minutes apiece against the Hawks and Ryan for 21 minutes.

Funny, looking down from above it seemed like they were out there for all 60 minutes.

“The chemistry has been there from Day One,” Perry said of the three top Ducks. “Bobby (Ryan) came in and fit right in, into the system and how we like to play.”

No, the Top Ducks Line isn't catchy enough, but Getzlaf-Perry-Ryan do deserve a nickname.

mimrem@dailyherald.com