It might be unfair to expect Penn State hockey’s dynamic top line of Alex Limoges, Evan Barratt, and Liam Folkes to live up to its performance from the 2018-19 season.

The trio combined for an other-worldly total of 135 points (57 goals, 78 assists) and routinely dominated opposing defenses when it came to puck possession. Limoges became the first player in program history to reach the 50-point mark in a single season, and he finished tied for the national lead in points with current NHL regular Taro Hirose.

Meanwhile, Barratt scored 16 goals and 27 assists in 32 games despite a few nagging injuries and the fatigue that comes with playing in the World Junior Championship, and Folkes put up 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists).

This season, however, has been a bit of a different story. Barratt leads the trio with seven points in nine games, and Limoges and Folkes aren’t far behind with six and five points, respectively. Based on Limoges’ assessment of its first nine games, the dynamic trio needed a bit of time to get back in the swing of things.

“We definitely were not clicking at the start of the season,” Limoges said. “It actually took us until last weekend [against Wisconsin] to really start feeling comfortable and playing like we were last year. It was really fun to see that last weekend, and this weekend, we started putting the puck in the net a little. It’s really just consistent play. We’re confident and excited for what’s to come.”

“I think their numbers are fair,” head coach Guy Gadowsky said. “They addressed some of the differences between why they were having a lot of production last year compared to why they weren’t this year, but we’re seeing an improvement in the areas they addressed.”

Numerically, the trio’s performance against Michigan State last Saturday was its best of the season. Limoges, Barratt, and Folkes combined for two goals and five points as Penn State bounced back from a Friday night shutout to beat the Spartans 6-4 at Pegula Ice Arena.

The line just seemed to have more confidence when its number was called. Barratt’s absurd, SportsCenter-worthy stick work in the first period might’ve been a play that lasted just a few seconds, but it’s symbolic of just how confident he and his linemates were on Saturday.

Can't. Stop. Watching.

Evan Barratt, how?!

( @PennStateMHKY) pic.twitter.com/NHbLVOdIbI

— NHL (@NHL) November 11, 2019

Like last year, Limoges, Barratt, and Folkes are all deployed on the same power play unit, but the other two players alongside them have changed. Aarne Talvitie typically holds the unit’s “bumper” position — which is situated in the high slot. All three forwards’ ability to pass the puck have created opportunities for Talvitie to wire his signature wrist shot on net from the heart of the offensive zone, but Talvitie has just one power play goal to his name.

On paper, Limoges, Barratt, and Folkes saucing passes to the sharpshooter is a deadly proposition for opposing penalty kills. That on-paper hypothesis may start to result in actual goals as the top forward line find its groove.

Elsewhere, transfer defenseman Clayton Phillips is the unit’s “quarterback” and mans the point with the goal of distributing the puck to his teammates or generating chaos in front of the goal with shots from the top of the zone. The former Minnesota player found the back of the net for the first time as a Nittany Lion on Saturday, and he wants to emphasize putting pucks on net more often as the season goes on.

“I’ve talked to Coach [Gadowsky] a few times about that,” Phillips said. “It’s just a matter of getting more stuff to the net. Once you throw stuff on net, you never know whether it’ll go in or get a good bounce or rebounds for the guys down low.”