When firepower is needed, nothing tops these offensive trios

There are no fancy nicknames or acronyms for these players, just a special something that helps them stay together and make an impact. So while NHL coaches change line combinations at the drop of the hat, the best units stay together and generally lead their teams. Here's our look at the top 10 lines this season.

Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Devin Setoguchi, San Jose: They are the Sharks top three scorers, putting up big numbers and in crucial situations. Thornton is the set up man down the middle, and in Marleau -- a natural center on pace for a career season -- and Setoguchi on the wings, Thornton has found double barreled finishing power for his passing prowess. This is the biggest reason the Sharks have a big standings lead so far.

Milan Lucic, Marc Savard, Phil Kessel, Boston: The pieces made sense on paper, and have worked out even better on the ice for the Bruins. Boston is getting MVP caliber seasons from both Savard and Kessel, whose QB and favorite receiver routine has been a trigger for the East's best offense so far. Lucic is putting up respectable numbers too, but more important is the space the hulking second-year pro is creating for his nimble linemates.

Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin comprise one of the youngest, most exciting lines in the league. (Getty Images)

Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin, Washington: This very young line is arguably the league's most exciting because Ovechkin shoots so often and hits nearly as much. Ovechkin scores a lot too, and so does Semin, who has remained a top 20 scorer despite missing about a third of the season with injuries. All three guys can fly and with Backstrom now a premier playmaker, they create a lot of offensive pressure.

Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, Mike Knuble, Philadelphia: Gagne has rebounded from his concussion problems and has been among the league's top 10 scorers all season. And Richards, their young first year captain, is in close pursuit statistically. Knuble, meanwhile, picks up points in spurts, but he does good grind work that helps the finishers do their thing. The line has nice balance and has been at the heart of Philadelphia's blistering pace for the last month.

Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom, Detroit: Datsyuk and Zetterberg are both Selke candidates and scorers, while Holmstrom is without peer when in comes to getting in goalies' faces. They have been together a long time and continue to be an integral part of what has been the league's most potent attack so far. Holmstrom missed a couple of weeks last month with injury and Dan Cleary stepped in, but Datsyuk and Zetterberg have remained among the league's top scorers.

Ruslan Fedotenko, Evgeni Malkin, Petr Sykora, Pittsburgh: In an ideal world, Pittsburgh could play their superstars Malkin and Sidney Crosby together on the same line regularly and watch work some magic. But the Penguins have to spread the offense around, so Malkin generally gets these wingers. And they put up a lot of points with Malkin leading the league in scoring and Sykora in game winning goals.

Kris Versteeg, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Chicago: The left wing position has been a revolving door with the rookie Versteeg benefitting from spending more time there than Patrick Sharp, Dustin Byfuglien or Troy Brouwer. But Kane and Toews are the players that make this line tick, and they have been making things happen regardless of who flanks them all season. Kane is a top five scorer now and Toews causes double takes with his moves, which is why Chicago is threatening Detroit in the Central Division for the first time in years.

Chris Kunitz, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Anaheim: All three started slow, but seemed to come out of it together during a Northeast Division road trip in late October. Getzlaf, the big center who can go through or around defenders, has climbed into the league's top 10 scoring chart, while Perry and Kunitz are aggressive forwards who have been piling up points of their own. They are three of the top four producers for a team doesn't get many more goals than it allows, yet is still firmly entrenched in the playoff picture.

Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa: The Senators have been a disaster this season, but their big line has generally held up its end of the bargain. It hasn't been easy though because they are about the only players other teams have to worry about. Ottawa's overall offense is near the bottom this season after finishing first last year, and the defense gets the Senators in holes often. But Heatley has been a point a game player while the other two have been close.

Patrik Elias, Dainius Zubrus, Brian Gionta, New Jersey: It may be surprising the Devils have remained in thick of the playoff race without Brodeur, but lately, veteran Patrik Elias has been a big reason why. He is playing his best hockey in years these days, in large part because of the chemistry he has going on with Zubrus and Gionta. The points are coming in bunches these days for him and it has been offense, as much as anything that has kept New Jersey competitive.