Juniors Christian Sarlo, Xander Lamppa and Tyler Paquette, known as “The Identity Line", has been unstoppable for Penn State Hockey.
Over 11 games, it has combined for 18 points, spread between eight goals and 10 assists with 75 shots. Looking at the Big Ten games, they have 15 points split between seven goals and eight assists.
In the away series against Wisconsin, it secured five points. In Game 1, Paquette had a goal assisted by Lamppa. In Game 2, Lamppa had one goal assisted by Paquette and assisted Connor McMenamin’s goal.
In the home series against Michigan, the line combined for seven points. In Game 1, Paquette assisted Lamppa’s goal to combine for two points. In Game 2, Lamppa assisted Paquette's goal and Sarlo and Paquette assisted Lamppa's goal to combine for five points.
In the away series against Minnesota, Sarlo recorded one goal in each game with one assisted by Lamppa.
“I think that overall, we all kind of play off each other really well. I think me and Sarlo are very similar players, and Paquette is really fast, pushes the pace," Lamppa said. “We all like to play with the puck down low and we all play simple hockey. We were all standing in front of the net when the puck's there and we ended up getting rewarded for that.”Lamppa and Paquette each registered multi-point games against Michigan, which marked Paquette's first multi-point game of the season.
Lamppa has already beaten his career-best goals in a season with three and has tied his career-best points at eight. In addition, he has recorded two multi-point games, one against Michigan and one against Wisconsin. Although Lamppa was not recruited as a center, he has showed immense versatility recording a 51% faceoff win percentage. Lamppa’s tenure at the position is due to Chase McLane being sidelined from an injury, but he got his first chance at center last season in the Big Ten Tournament against Minnesota.
“We're really close together off the ice, which I think you see on the ice. We have pretty good chemistry," Sarlo said. “And I think we've all kind of just embraced like the way we want to play, which was just getting in deep, getting the work; we're all big bodies and we like playing down low. So just getting the puck in deep, causing turnovers on the forecheck and then letting our skill show down the line in the offensive zone.”
The Identity Line has had a substantial impact throughout the first eleven games of the season particularly during Big Ten play, which will be crucial for the playoff standings.
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