Defend This

Drew Doughty–Jake Muzzin (Los Angeles) – Hey Drew Doughty had multiple point efforts in back to back games for the first time in what felt like forever. Those four points and increased offensive intensity were enough to top the list this week as he and Jake Muzzin were part of this five points per duo brigade. This was all done while Doughty played just about a half hour a night. Now that is a real hockey ironman. Los Angeles will need him to put more points up with Slava Voynov in serious trouble as he is tried in his felony domestic violence case.

Kevin Connauton–James Wisniewski (Columbus) – They were on the list a few weeks ago almost out of nowhere during the period of injuries. Their five points was part of what helped Columbus as they have risen up the standings. This six game winning streak is no accident and the Blue Jackets find themselves closer and closer to a playoff spot. The pairing is also more defensively responsible which leads to offensive opportunities for the duo. They should be pretty proficient in the coming weeks.

Barret Jackman–Kevin Shattenkirk (St. Louis) – Hey it wasn't Kevin Shattenkirk that led these two in points, it was Barret Jackman? Yes it was! Jackman had four points and so did Shattenkirk. Therefore, they were tied. This was a surprise to a lot of us but personally I had Jackman in a DFS league and could not believe my eyes when he had a load of points along with Shattenkirk. This week, keep an eye on these two as they could not only surprise again but perhaps they could become a nice even strength option for St. Louis going forward.

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As always you can follow me @ChrisWasselTHW and thanks for reading. See you next week with four more line combination and three pairings for "Between The Lines".