Go ahead and say it: the Avs have the best line in hockey

NEWARK, N.J. – There is the speed demon, the franchise player, at center. There is the captain with both moxie and skill at left wing and there is the hybrid of those two at right wing. They still lack a good nickname, so let’s just call them for what they were in Thursday night’s game, and for most of the season so far:

A monster.

For my money, right now, Gabe Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen constitute the best line in the NHL. Let the debate rage, from Toronto and Pittsburgh and Washington and Winnipeg. I’ll stick with the Avs’ trio just the same, thank you.

The New Jersey Devils thought they had their fifth victim in as many games this year on Thursday night here at the Prudential Center. The Devils had a 3-2 lead in the third period, after a lucky Brian Boyle goal. That’s when the Avs’ terrific trio went to work, led first by the captain, Landeskog, and finished off by the Finnish Phenom, Rantanen.

All told, they combined for 10 points in a win that upped the Avs’ record to 4-1-2. Seven of those points came in the final 12 minutes of the game. So much for that undefeated record, Devils.

I asked Landeskog after the game just what it’s like to play with his two linemates. All he could do at first was smile.

“They’re two good players, no doubt,” Landeskog told BSN Denver. “It feels pretty good when we get rolling like that.”

Here’s a stat you might be surprised at: Rantanen, with 11, leads the NHL in assists right now.

“Cuz he’s got two snipers playing on his line,” Landeskog chirped.

But really, this isn’t too big of a surprise. Rantanen had 55 assists last season, to go along with 29 goals. While he possesses a lethal shot, he likes to wheel out of corners with the puck and make plays. With his sheer size, he’s able to fend off checkers while maintaining control in tight spaces. Never was that more evident than Thursday, when he started really dishing some serious sauce late in the game. He finished with four points, a goal and three assists, and he could have had a couple more (he set up Matt Nieto with a brilliant feed late, but his shot went wide).

It’s fair to say Rantanen has a decent future with this club. He’s still just 21 (he’ll turn 22 on Oct. 29) and his contract is up after this season. I talked with his agent, Mike Liut, recently and the plan is to wait until after the season to negotiate his next deal. With the way the numbers are adding up, the big Finn is likely to become the best-paid player on the team come next fall.

Rantanen says he doesn’t think about his contract, but management probably is. Good thing the team already has nearly $10 million of cap space, and likely will have more this summer.

About his fast start, particularly with the assists, Rantanen said this after the game: “I just try to have patience with the puck. It’s not always easy, but I’m fortunate to play with two great players. But all four lines played a really good game.”

Said Jared Bednar of Rantanen: “When Mikko is moving his feet, he’s a lot to handle. He has the talent and ability to throw guys off and create separation and find the open man. When you’re doing the right things and talking to him a little bit, he’ll find ya. We saw what he can do last year, and for me it all starts when he’s moving his feet.”

MacKinnon failed for the first time this season to score a goal, but he certainly had himself a good night overall. He had three assists, upping his point total on the year to 11.

The thing about these three guys is: they’re still so young. They’re having an awful lot of fun out there right now. And we’re all going to see a lot more fun times ahead.