Flames' 'Triple-M' line dominating by driving play from defensive zone

The Calgary Flames' second line remains a force to be reckoned with.

Of course, it can't be considered their second line any more, as Calgary's unexpectedly dominant trio of Mikael Backlund, Michael Frolik and Matthew Tkachuk have rolled over the opposition all season long. The trio combined for 115 points heading into their Friday night tilt, and have emerged as the second-best regularly used line in the NHL in terms of puck possession.

The fact that it's this supposed depth group doing the Flames' heavy lifting as opposed to the highly touted duo of Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau is impressive enough. But that's not even the craziest part.

Even more impressive is how they're putting up those numbers.

The trio added another batch of points during their game against the Florida Panthers on Friday - during which they once again showed their ability to drive play up ice and contribute on the score sheet without the help of offensive zone starts.

First came Backlund's tally to give Calgary the lead:

Then, a few minutes later, a rare goal from Deryk Engelland set up by Tkachuk and Frolik extended the lead:

Those plays weren't simply anomalies. They're representative of how the three low-key stars have been dominating opposing defenses all year long.

While all three rank among Calgary's top six scorers this season, they're also the least sheltered, each ranking in the top five on the team in terms of the percentage of their shifts started in their own zone.

All three forwards have started more than 60 percent of their even-strength shifts in the defensive zone this season:

And yet, despite rarely being given the help of a free placement in the offensive zone, the "Triple-M" line has continued to run rampant.

That's great news for the rest of the Flames' forwards, because with Backlund's line able to push up ice to create offense, head coach Glen Gulutzan has the option of giving more offensive zone faceoffs to his other lines.

Which is precisely what has happened - Monahan and Gaudreau have both started over 60 percent of their shifts in the opponents' zone.

The Flames have had plenty of issues this season, but the club's offense has remained surprisingly impressive throughout. And as they head into the home stretch of the season with the "Triple-M" line still making waves, it's clear that ability to drive play through the neutral zone has played a key role in helping put points on the board and keep the club afloat.