There's a great degree of comfort for a head coach in being able to depend on a solid trio up front - a line that consistently controls the puck while also scoring with regularity - day in and day out.

Below we rank the NHL's top 10 trios at even strength by examining their underlying numbers (Corsi For Percentage, Shots For Percentage, Goals For Percentage), while also considering their shooting percentages to account for a measure of luck working for or against. In order to qualify, a trio must have played at least 150 minutes together at five-on-five.

10. Claude Giroux - Sean Couturier - Jakub Voracek

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Philadelphia is mired in a potentially season-altering losing streak, but the top line isn't the problem. Coach Dave Hakstol has shifted Giroux to the wing and allowed Couturier to emerge as an offensive force at center, but unfortunately not much else is working for the Flyers these days.

9. Leon Draisaitl - Connor McDavid - Patrick Maroon

When all else fails, put two of your best players together to get the offense rolling. Edmonton coach Todd McLellan did just that for a stretch of time, allowing Patrick Maroon to enjoy the benefits of playing alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. In recent games, McDavid has been skating with Milan Lucic and Mike Cammalleri to help spread out the offense, but it might be time to put him back with this line to help salvage the season

8. Evander Kane - Jack Eichel - Jason Pominville

As in Edmonton, not much is going right in Buffalo this season, but first-year coach Phil Housley can roll out this unit knowing they'll do more good than harm. The line of Kane, Eichel, and Pominville could be even more effective if and when their shooting percentage - and by extension their goals for percentage - begins to rise.

7. Brandon Saad - Jonathan Toews - Richard Panik

Chicago's top line is giving up a fair share of shots and goals against, but gets the benefit of the doubt due to logging heavy defensive assignments and for a bit of bad luck, as evidenced by their low shooting percentage. Bringing Saad back into the mix has certainly benefited Toews.

6. Zach Hyman - Auston Matthews - William Nylander

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Toronto coach Mike Babcock recently moved Nylander to the fourth line and replaced him here with Connor Brown, which is curious considering how formidable this line has been in limited time. The low shooting percentage also suggests even greater success could be had should Nylander be bumped back up. Regardless, Matthews makes things happen no matter who he plays with.

5. Johnny Gaudreau - Sean Monahan - Micheal Ferland

Gaudreau garners all the attention as Calgary's diminutive scoring giant, and there's no denying the chemistry he has with Monahan. Coach Glen Gulutzan did well to discover how well Ferland compliments this pair.

4. Jonathan Marchessault - William Karlsson - Reilly Smith

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

This line hasn't been together long, but Vegas appears to have struck gold. General manager George McPhee needs to thank the Florida Panthers for being willing to part ways with Marchessault and Smith while he was assembling the inaugural Golden Knights roster. And yes, this trio has been on the ice for an even share of goals, but the underlying numbers and the level shooting percentage skews on the side of dominance.

3. Jonathan Huberdeau - Aleksander Barkov - Evegenii Dadonov

Florida will have to somehow make due without Dadonov, who'll be sidelined four-to-six weeks with a shoulder injury. That's a huge blow to a team on the outside of the playoff picture despite this line's dominance, but Barkov and Huberdeau can certainly keep it rolling with whomever they play with in the meantime.

2. Filip Forsberg - Ryan Johansen - Viktor Arvidsson

One can't help but wonder what the outcome of the Stanley Cup Final would have been if Nashville had a healthy Ryan Johansen on their side. This line is basically as good as it gets across the board these days, with one exception.

1. Bradeyn Schenn - Jaden Schwartz - Vladimir Tarasenko

The only knock on this line at the moment is an inflated shooting percentage, but the trio is so dominant in terms of attempts, shots, and goals that it kind of makes sense, although some regression should probably be expected. GM Doug Armstrong hit the jackpot by adding Schenn in the offseason, as he's excelling alongside Schwartz and Tarasenko.

Honorable mention: It seems odd not to mention Tampa Bay's trio of Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Vladislav Namestnikov - a line that's outproduced all others so far this season. However, their success has been boosted by excellence on the power play, while their even-strength performance has them sitting behind the trios mentioned above. Their lower possession numbers and a somewhat inflated shooting percentage - along with a serious cool-off period as of late - means they rank 11th in a discussion that's focused on five-on-five play.

(Advanced stats courtesy: Corsica Hockey)

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The Boston Bruins will welcome two crucial pieces back to the lineup Wednesday versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, as Brad Marchand and David Backes will return from injury, head coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed.

Marchand, who ranks second on the Bruins in goals despite playing only 15 games, will play his first game since Nov. 11 after missing the last six with an upper-body injury.

Backes, meanwhile, is the more surprising return, as he was supposed to be sidelined for up to eight weeks due to Nov. 1 colon surgery. The 33-year-old has played just five games this season, producing one assist. Despite the poor output, Boston should be delighted to welcome any regular back to the rotation considering the team's offensive woes.

With injuries to key personnel playing a large role, the Bruins have scored just 66 goals this season, better than only the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens.

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No need to panic.

That's the message Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall shared following Tuesday's loss to the San Jose Sharks, the team's ninth-straight defeat.

The latest loss pushed Philadelphia to 8-10-7 on the season, but the team's recent play hasn't been indicative of its record. Five losses have come after regulation and two others have been decided by two or fewer goals.

"We're not playing poorly," Hextall told reporters Tuesday. "To look objectively at our team right now, to say we're playing poorly? No. Are we shooting ourselves in the foot at times? Yes, we are.

"I still believe we're a playoff team. We need to be better at some critical moments. But part of it, we need to continue to do what we're doing because we're doing a lot of good things."

The Flyers sit six points back of a playoff position. The team missed last year's postseason by seven points and hasn't failed to qualify for the playoffs in back-to-back years since 1994.

On Tuesday, frustrations over the losing skid spilled into the stands, as fans chanted for coach Dave Hakstol's firing, and later booed the team as it left the ice.

The Flyers have three days to prepare for their next contest, and possibly their first victory in more than three weeks, when they take on the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

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Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews failed to record a shot on goal for the first time in his NHL career Tuesday in Calgary, ending a streak that spanned 103 games.

Matthews had two shot attempts, but one missed the net and the other was blocked by a Flames defender.

Not recording a shot wasn't enough to hold him off the scoresheet, though, as he assisted on Nikita Zaitsev's second-period goal in Toronto's 4-1 victory.

Matthews will get a chance to start a brand-new streak Thursday when the Leafs take on the Oilers.

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Frederik Andersen was dialed in Tuesday night.

The Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender extended for an impressive toe save to deny Matthew Tkachuk of the Calgary Flames after a slick centering feed by Micheal Ferland on what began as an odd-man rush.

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Rock bottom is seemingly dropping deeper and deeper for the Philadelphia Flyers.

The club dropped its ninth straight game Tuesday, a 3-1 decision at the hands of the San Jose Sharks, and the Philadelphia faithful made sure to voice their displeasure over another lackluster effort.

Fans serenaded the Flyers with boos following the second period and once again after the final buzzer as the team left the ice. As has become somewhat of a common occurrence at Wells Fargo Center, chants of "Fire Hakstol" could also be heard during the game.

The Flyers' most recent loss prompted the team to hold a players-only meeting where they discussed the importance of remaining on the same page, captain Claude Giroux told Sam Carchidi of Philly.com.

Giroux also noted that Hakstol shouldn't be shouldering the blame for the Flyers' play during their current slide.

Philadelphia hasn't tasted victory since its 3-1 triumph over the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 9 and now sits just one point out of the second-last spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Flyers will now enjoy three days off before they tangle with the Boston Bruins on Saturday in another attempt to to halt their losing streak.

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Rock bottom is seemingly dropping deeper and deeper for the Philadelphia Flyers.

The club dropped its ninth straight game Tuesday, a 3-1 decision at the hands of the San Jose Sharks, and the Philadelphia faithful made sure to voice their displeasure over another lackluster effort.

Fans serenaded the Flyers with boos following the second period and once again after the final buzzer as the team left the ice. As has become somewhat of a common occurrence at Wells Fargo Center, chants of "Fire Hakstol" could also be heard during the game.

The Flyers' most recent loss prompted the team to hold a players-only meeting where they discussed the importance of remaining on the same page, captain Claude Giroux told Sam Carchidi of Philly.com.

Giroux also noted that Hakstol shouldn't be shouldering the blame for the Flyers' play during their current slide.

Philadelphia hasn't tasted victory since its 3-1 triumph over the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 9 and now sits just one point out of the second-last spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Flyers will now enjoy three days off before they tangle with the Boston Bruins on Saturday in another attempt to to halt their losing streak.

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Anze Kopitar's career year continued Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings, notching two goals and an assist in the Kings' 4-1 victory.

With the two-goal performance, Kopitar now has 12 through 25 contests, which is the same amount he had in all 76 games he played in last season.

In fact, Kopitar is now on pace for 39 goals and 92 points - both of which would surpass his previous career highs of 34 and 81 set back in 2009-10.

As one of the league's best defensive centers, Kopitar could very well be given some Hart Trophy consideration if he continues this offensive pace. Without Jeff Carter in the lineup for the majority of the season, it's hard to imagine where the Kings would be without Kopitar's elevated play.

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