You look at it, Bennett had 27 points last year, Jankowski had 32, Neal had 19, and Czarnik had 18. That's what I'd consider our third lines throughout last year with Czarnik replacing Neal due to injury. That's around 90 points combined. Our third line this year was Lucic, Ryan, and Dube (though there was a lot more fluctation that last year in terms of solidifying spots I can't go in and see exactly what everyone got when they were respectively on the third line) and they got 20, 29, and 16 points respectively. If we want to compare these two third lines we can find their pace over an 82 game season to get similar numbers.
Y1| Bennett ( 31) - Jankowski (33) - Neal (25 ) = 89 points over an entire season
Y2| Lucic ( 24) - Ryan ( 35) - Dube (29) = 88 points
So our third line wasn't the issue. Though I'd say that first year was more like a 4th line in terms of players, they were the "third line". So that's not where our issue lies this season. But on the other hand the third line last year was lambasted for lack of 5v5 play driving ability, yadda yadda, let's see what the fourth lines did.
Y1| Mangiapane (24) - Ryan (38) - Hathaway (21) = 83 points across 82 games
Y2| Bennett (19) - Jankowski (10) - Rieder/Rinaldo (17) = 46 points across 82 games
This is where the problem lies. First off, there is a lot of similarities in terms of Bennett and Jankwoski's lines being the worst percieved lines two years running. Then there is the topic of graduation/changes. The 4th line of last year is entirel split up. Mangiapane is on the second line now, Ryan is centring the third line, and Hathaway is out to Washington. Meanwhile Bennett sees a 12 point drop, Jankowski loses 23, and Hathaway to Rinaldo/Rieder combined is a 4 point loss.
I think the biggest difference between this and last year is the deployment of our players. Mangiapane and Ryan rightfully were moved up in the lineup, but Jankowski struggled and sunk the 4th line. Even last year Bennett and Jankowski didn't work together yet they were stuck together for another season and their play dropped off. I think this is emblamatic of a larger team issue with deployment. Lines that don't work together or pairings that don't work, i.e. Hanifin-Hamonic, and Bennett with Jankowski, aren't taken apart. Of course Jankowski losing the ability to play hockey hurts, but playing him for 54 games before sitting him and never trying to switch up having 1 good line in the bottom 6 kills us. All of our offense is coming from the top 6, and in a year where they struggled a bit, there's a lot of pressure to preform.
I would have liked to see trying Bennett, Lucic, and Ryan in varying spots. Like Bennett - Ryan - Dube on the third, or Lucic - Dube/Bennett on the third with Ryan once again trying to make those around him better. I dunno, but the committment to lines in the bottom 6 has to change.