The Habs Have Found The Perfect 3rd Line

For Danault and Gallagher, there is no doubt that they have both slowed a lot since their days of patrolling one of the best defensive lines in hockey alongside Tomas Tatar from 2018 to 2021, but they have managed to recapture some of the magic that they had back in those days together, which has allowed both of them to regain a step in their game. What makes them so good is that they all bring something different to the table.

Gallagher brings relentless effort and the ability to fight his way into dirty areas despite his 5’9″, 170 lb. stature. Even though his body as a whole has slowed down, the 33-year-old has not changed the way he has played. Over the past few games, the Habs have been able to have rest days in between matchups, which has allowed the Habs’ oldest forward to look fresher than he did earlier on when there were a lot of 3 games in 4 nights. The Habs will have another 6 back-to-back situations this season, but given that Gallagher will have the next 2.5 weeks off for the Olympic break, it should allow him to come back fresh and rested for the final sprint of the season.

With that being said, expect Gallagher to come in looking really good when the Habs return to action on February 26th against the New York Islanders. He may even extend his goal-scoring streak to 3 games with his relentless play.

While Gallagher is the heart and soul of the line, Danault is the defensive specialist who wins important faceoffs that allow his line to start their shift with the puck more often than not. He has won 58.3% of his faceoffs since getting traded back to the Canadiens. There are often times when he will go on the ice with other lines to take faceoffs. On top of his faceoff abilities, Danault has underrated playmaking skills that can help Anderson and Gallagher score goals.

Meanwhile, having a big speedster on the other wing like Anderson, who can hit, score, and fight, helps complete the line into being a solid 2-way unit. At the end of the day, his style of play allows his linemates to go at their own slower speed without worrying about getting to the net late, as he is the one who bulldozes his way to the net with his strength and speed to create chances. This often fits well with Gallagher’s style as he can jump on any rebound that this creates.

The veterans line has a little of everything that makes for a great energy line that can provide some nice scoring depth while shutting down their opponents, which could give a boost to the other forward lines as a result. Nonetheless, there may be a few games that they struggle with fatigue as they are all on the back rnd of the NHL careers. With that being said, there may be a few tough nights for this line, but the majority of the time they will be able to annoy other teams’ 3rd lines with their solid 2-way play.

What are your thoughts on the Habs veterans line since it was put together?