In acting, when someone calls out “Line!” it’s a safety net. It’s a little ace up your sleeve that you can use when you need it. Not to be relied upon but certainly there.
Montreal used to have a line that was a safety net. A line that wouldn’t put up eye-popping numbers but was always there to play solid hockey and carry that weight when needed.
Last year in the playoffs, I wrote an article about the trio of Brendan Gallagher, Phillip Danault, and Tomas Tatar, lamenting the fact that Tatar was not being utilized. I compared the line to the Beatles and the gist was the Beatles still needing Ringo.