From left, Brent Baltus, Alex Smith and Jake Jackson have found chemistry playing together on the same line. (David Archambeau/Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — There is a science to putting together the perfect line. Like any experiment, it starts with a hypothesis: the coaching staff serves as the scientists — though they don hockey gear rather than lab coats. They discuss which players might react well to each other, and which ones won’t. They talk about the properties of each player’s game, and what they need to prosper. Then, once three players are selected, the hypothesis is tested on the ice. The conclusion can go one of two ways: either the line is successful, or it is back to the drawing board. 

For Michigan Tech, when it comes to the line of Jake Jackson, Alex Smith and Brent Baltus, no further experimentation is necessary. Head coach Joe Shawhan and his staff have found the perfect combination.

“They have synergy,” Shawhan said. “The sum of the parts is better than the individual; the three of them are greater than three people right now. They are getting a lot done. They are anticipating where the other two will be on the ice, they are talking to each other to be in the right spots, and they are a great example of how we want things done with energy and all the little fundamental details of what you need to do to be successful.”

Shawhan and his staff first put the trio on the same line for the Nov. 10 and 11 series against Northern Michigan. Since then, at least one member of their line has been involved in 13 of Tech’s 26 goals (eight games). Smith has recorded 10 points since the Northern series, and Jackson and Baltus each have nine. 

Senior captain Baltus struggled before he found his perfect linemates, tallying just three points and zero goals over the first 11 games. He was frustrated, but things turned with his new line, and quickly.

“Then I got put with those two and our styles of play really clicked right from the first game,” he said. “We were playing well and getting scoring chances, which helped with our confidence right off the hop. We have just slowly built off of it from there.”

The three are all in the midst of multiple-game points streaks. Jackson has four goals and four assists over the last six games, Smith has three goals and five assists over the last five games and Baltus is in a four-game point streak with three goals and four assists.  

When evaluating his roster, Shawhan and the Tech staff had a hunch the three would fit together well, but their skills have combined in ways the coaches only hoped for. 

They all boast great strength and intelligence, which is certainly a good place to start, but from there their games take different shapes, and together, they morph into a powerful force on the ice. 

Jackson brings incredible speed — and sneaky speed at that. At 6-foot and 188 pounds, Jackson is built differently than most speed guys, so when he turns it on, defenders are caught off guard.  

With Jackson threatening to blow by defenses at all times, the ice opens up for Smith, who thrives when creating for others (he has 10 assists this season). The 6-foot sophomore can find his linemates anywhere on the ice, and he creates chances by finding Jackson and Baltus on the back-door, or firing the puck towards the goal and allowing them to get the rebound. 

And then there is Baltus, who does a little bit of everything. The captain does his best in tough scenarios, winning battles for the puck, defending and making plays on offense. 

Their hockey skills are clear, but Tech’s top line prospers because their personalities click as well. Baltus, who is older than the other two, serves as “the dad of the line,” according to Smith. He and Jackson share similar demeanors, as both stay cool and level-headed in all situations. If there is an on-ice scuffle, Jackson is nowhere to be found. Baltus is a little more likely to be involved, but he too generally stays away. But Smith is there. He’s there every single time. 

And that’s a good thing. 

Jackson and Baltus keep the line under control, but Smith provides the spark.

“Smitty chirps a lot on the ice,” Jackson said. “He will talk to guys on the other team a lot. He likes to get under people’s skin and I have seen guys take penalties because of him, and he never ends up in the box.”

“When he is at his best he is an agitator,” Baltus said. “We definitely don’t talk as much as Alex talks on the ice. I don’t know if he ever stops.”

Smith may be the only one talking to opponents, but the three don’t skimp on communication when it comes to each other. If something is working, they talk about how to continue the success, and if something is off, they talk even more, until the negatives are corrected. 

Against Ferris State on Saturday, the trio started slowly and struggled to get the high-quality chances they have become accustomed too. But even when they aren’t at their best, Baltus says he and his linemates understand each other on a level that makes criticism well-received.

“It is fun playing with them because you can let a guy know that he isn’t playing to the best of his ability,” he said. “We aren’t afraid to hold each other accountable, whether on the bench or in the locker room or before a game, we are always on each other, whether it is in a fun way or a more serious way.”

On Saturday it was serious. After a first period that left something to be desired, Baltus, Jackson and Smith talked it out and decided they needed to get better looks. Things improved in the second, but it still wasn’t good enough, so the three got on each other even more. 

This time it did the trick, and with 3:14 left to play, Jackson connected for a goal, assisted by his linemates, of course. 

It served as further proof that Shawhan’s experiment is working. But there is one major difference between a science experiment and a hockey experiment: The results are not the rule. No matter how many times Baltus, Jackson and Smith find success on the ice, it could change at any moment. Now opponents will start to key in on the trio, forcing them to adjust. 

Even if that cuts down on their production the extra attention still bodes well for Tech. The more energy opponents expend trying to stifle them, the less energy is left for defending their teammates. In other words, the better the top line is, the better the team is. 

And that makes the experiment a total success.