For the last seven games, center Jonathan Toews and winger Patrick Kane have started on the same line.
The Blackhawks have also won their last seven games.
Correlation doesn't always equal causation, but Kane and Toews' union has certainly been a factor in the streak, which has made the Hawks the top team in the Western Conference entering Thursday.
"The last couple games we're getting there and we're starting to realize _ whether it's areas to go to or how we want to play coming out of our end _ different things like that where it takes a little bit of time to get chemistry with someone," Kane said this week. "The last couple games, it has been pretty good."
The line was quiet in the Hawks' 2-1 victory over the Blues, but that was the exception.
Coach Joel Quenneville is hesitant to put them together to keep his lines balanced. But Quenneville hasn't had to worry about balance with the new second line of Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Marian Hossa playing so well. (Anisimov is questionable for Friday's game against the Capitals because of an upper-body injury he suffered Wednesday.)
"We both understand it's good for our team to have the two of us making lines better, at least being separate it gives our lineup a little more depth," Toews said. "I think it's worked out really well the last couple of years."
The move came while Toews was having trouble finding the back of the net _ he scored no goals through his first eight games. "I think we know what we expect out of each other," Toews said. "Sometimes it's just getting the timing down. I think that's there. I think when a couple pucks go in, especially from myself, you start to loosen up and you start to see the ice a little bit better and you realize you have a little more time and start to play more creatively and patiently."
Kane, meanwhile, has three goals and six assists in his last seven games, though one goal and two assists came on the power play when he and Toews only occasionally play together.
For most of these last seven games, Richard Panik was playing the left wing with them. To start last game, rookie Nick Schmaltz was on that line before Quenneville inserted Panik again.
But it doesn't much matter who Toews and Kane are playing if both are at the top of their powers.
"I think we're going to get better and better," Toews said.
