Once upon a time, the toast of Tampa Bay was the "Triplets" line.
The Tampa Bay Lightning trio of Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, and Ondrej Palat was one of the game's best for quite a stretch before getting split up and slotted in with different linemates.
Head coach Jon Cooper put the "Triplets" back together for the club's tilt against the Edmonton Oilers at the end of February and they've been dominating ever since.
In the five games since reuniting, the three forwards have posted a combined 24 points - Kucherov leads the way with an impressive 13 points through those five contests, followed by Johnson's seven and Palat's four.
Not every one of those 24 points came strictly from the trio's play together, some coming on the power play, but Cooper's decision to reunite his former top line seems to have spurred an overall offensive resurgence for the Lightning.
They kept things rolling Saturday night against the Buffalo Sabres as Johnson scored his 19th goal of the year, with Kucherov earning a helper on the tally.
tyler johnson goal pic.twitter.com/8I1kLSwMQN
— steph (@myregularface) March 5, 2017
Johnson, Kucherov, and Palat dominated throughout the overtime period as well, joining Jonathan Drouin for a 4-on-3 power play - the four-man group launched shot after shot in the Sabres' zone but were unable to break through. Tampa Bay eventually claimed the win in a shootout, with Kucherov tallying the winner.
Related: Kucherov seals Lightning victory with cheeky shootout goal
The rise of the "Triplets" couldn't have come at a better time for the Lightning. With captain Steven Stamkos still on the shelf, Tampa Bay remains on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, clawing away to make up lost ground.
The Lightning still have their work cut out for them, with a few teams remaining between Tampa and a playoff berth. A strong run over the season's home stretch is a must if the Lightning want to get back into playoff contention, but it seems the "Triplets" are doing their part to help their club avoid an early exit.
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