Senators' third line throwing opposition for a loop with scoring prowess

OTTAWA — What’s the best third line in the NHL? 

Michael Amadio—Shane Pinto—Claude Giroux.

The trio didn’t start the season together, but after an embarrassing effort by the Ottawa Senators against the New York Islanders on Oct. 18, head coach Travis Green composed an absolute monster of a line.

“That line is probably the only line that I haven't touched for a little while. You guys know me that when that happens, some good things are happening,” said Green last week.

Green is famous for mixing and matching his line combinations; he's realized it’s better to let his third line cook.

The third line is different from most third lines. They aren’t fast or necessarily heavy, but they out-think opponents with an elite blend of offensive capability and defensive doggedness. 

Recently, against Boston, they were up against David Pastrnak’s electric line. They thwarted a chance behind their net and then immediately, in transition, Giroux got the puck in the neutral zone, made a nifty quick pass to Pinto, leading him to a two-on-one, where he found Amadio with a beautiful backdoor feed to open the scoring. The play exemplified the line's ability to go from defence to offence in the blink of an eye.

The threesome has amassed 27 points in 15 games. Not only that, at 69 per cent, they have the best expected goals share of any forward line or defence duo in the entire NHL that has played 100 minutes together this season. Before the third line was united, in the first six games of the season, the Senators allowed the second-most goals per game, at 4.93 a game. Since the line was conceived on Oct. 21, the Senators have the third-fewest goals allowed per game, at 2.54.

It's not all on this line, but they have played a dramatic part in the defensive turnaround of the Senators. 

Since the line was put together, the Senators have lost only two games in regulation while vaulting from two games below .500 to five games above, with a 9-2-4 record in that span.

The beauty of this third line is that they can shut you down and then score on you too. The line has outscored opponents 9-5 this season at five-on-five.

In the NHL, having superstars is essential, but depth puts you over the top — which is why Ottawa's success with its third line has led to wins.

“I think we're all kind of smart players and read off each other super well,” said Pinto about his line. 

“And just all three of us are kind of resorting to a simpler game and easy to predict, kind of what the other guy's doing. And, yeah, when we get in the O-zone, we try to kind of grind teams down.”

It’s a line made up of a budding elite player in Pinto, a mid-career journeyman in Amadio and an aging superstar in Giroux.

Let’s start with the least flashy player on the line and the least fleet of foot: Amadio. He is a different version of Mark Stone: Amadio, 29, is unbelievable at protecting the puck and reading plays at a high level. 

“He's a smart player when he's on his game,” said Green. “I think some guys get by with their skill, their speed, their skating, and some guys have to think their way around the game, and that helps them a little later in their career.

“He's strong on the puck, and he's really good on the walls. When I say strong, he's been owning a lot of pucks.”

When general manager Steve Staios took over the Senators, he wanted to acquire players with elite hockey IQ and great forechecking prowess. That is Michael Amadio. He has the best expected goals percentage on the team and is on pace for a career high in goals, assists and points. In his first summer in charge of the Senators, Staios signed Amadio to a three-year contract; Amadio has been worth every penny of the $2.75 million per season.

Meanwhile, Pinto, 25, has grown into a force not only defensively but offensively —and has been rewarded with a nice little $30 million in the bank and a well-deserved four-year extension. 

Pinto is on pace for a career high in goals, assists and points. He’s still tasked with the toughest defensive assignments, such as shutting down McDavid, Pastrnak, and Rantanen this season, and is producing at a 39-goal pace. 

“He's gotten stronger, he's gotten better,” said Green. “I think, mentally, he’s grown as well and plays in that position where you're still trying to score, and he's a good offensive player, but understanding that he's playing against the best players, that takes some maturity in your game.”

The skill has never been more on display from Pinto. 

But like Amadio and Giroux, he presents himself with the same elite quality.

“His hockey IQ is really high,” said Giroux. “And when you play with a guy like that, you know he's going to win his battle.”

If your third-line centre can suppress the opponents’ first line while scoring at a 39-goal pace, then he is your third-line centre in name only. Third-line centres don’t typically score like that. 

Meanwhile, Giroux is the elder statesman who still has plenty of skill, despite losing a step, and provides elite-level face-off ability. Late in the game against San Jose, he won multiple key draws to secure the win. 

Giroux is a steely competitor, but he’s his own harshest critic.

“They're both pretty consistent. Maybe I should be more consistent?” Giroux said about his linemates.

Nevertheless, he’s adapted well to a new role on a checking line, unlike his previous seasons in Ottawa, when he played alongside Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle. 

Stutzle has taken notice.

“He's so good, so consistent,” said Stutzle about Giroux.

“(He’s) impressed me. Every year he comes back in better shape, and (this season) the best I've probably seen him since he's been in Ottawa. It’s just so much fun to watch, and how you can get better at that age.” 

Last season, the Senators' third line had Amadio and Pinto with Ridly Greig. What Giroux has added is offensive power, with 1,130 career points. He had 50 points last season and is on pace for more this season. Greig is a really hard-nosed, workmanlike player, but his career high is 37 points. Last season, the third line struggled to score, with 45 goals between them. This season, it has accumulated 20 goals in 21 games.

The most fascinating dynamic is how Green deploys the line. Firstly, they almost rarely start in the offensive zone: the trifecta of Senators starts in the O-zone just 23 per cent of the time. For comparison, the Stutzle, David Perron and Drake Batherson triad starts in the offensive zone 47 per cent of the time. Yet, the third line has produced offensively and been a nullifying force defensively, allowing only five five-on-five goals in 15 games against the best competition. 

The success of Ottawa’s third line demonstrates that in a league that is getting faster by the day, elite hockey IQ still is a crucial trait. 

Third lines are constantly trying to shut down teams; in the Senators' case, opponents are trying to find ways to shut theirs down.