The offense might have finally found a spark as the combination of Kevin Henderson, Brady Brassart, and Matt Carey have combined for 19 points in the last six games — a stretch in which the Mallards averaged three goals per game. All three players are on multi-game point streaks, with Brassart leading the way with points in his last six games.

“We’re starting to read off each other and when you play with guys, you build up the chemistry and know where we are on the ice,” Brassart said. “A lot of it is simple, getting pucks in deep and then winning battles.”

It’s not surprising the line is producing. To start, it’s the team’s biggest line, averaging over six feet and 200 pounds. It’s also the team’s most experienced line. Carey and Henderson have each played briefly in the NHL, and all three have significant playing time in the AHL, with Carey and Brassart playing together this season for the Iowa Wild.

The line combination seems obvious now but injuries kept the trio from getting put together earlier. Henderson suffered a concussion that kept him out for two months and he feels like he’s finally back in game shape. Henderson’s addition has added more of a physical presence of someone willing to go into the corners and win the battles along the boards. That play has allowed his linemates to get open and in position to put the puck in the net.

“It’s about consistency,” Henderson said. “At the start, I was switching around and playing with different people all the time and consistently playing with the same players, we’ve found some rhythm and it’s been working.”

It also took someone leaving his comfort zone to get the line together. Henderson and Carey were both natural left wingers, but Carey opted to make the move to the other side, allowing Ruskowski to get the combination.

“When something’s not going right, some veterans blame the rookies for not doing their jobs,” Ruskowski said. “These are three veterans that respect and know they can do the job. Instead of yelling and blaming somebody, they have second thoughts because they’re all in the same category in terms of playing style.”

The Mallards need more depth if they are going to succeed, and the hope is this potent line takes some pressure off the other lines. Ruskowski also said the Mallards are nearing full health and are expected to get forwards Zach Pochiro and Olivier Archambault back from injury in the next few weeks.

“We’re getting opportunities to score from all three lines now,” Ruskowski said. “That’s a highlight and I hope that once they get all together, they can start producing and taking the pressure off that top line.”