Line Change
Rempe will be back in the Rangers lineup for Game 5.
NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Forbort will be a healthy scratch for Game 4 on Sunday vs. Florida.
Forbort appeared in the first three games of Boston's second-round series but will head to the press box on Sunday for Game 4 as Parker Wotherspoon returns to the lineup. The 32-year-old has failed to produce offensively in his three playoff games played, with no points, and one SOG while averaging 17:49 TOI/GP.
Wotherspoon will draw back into Boston's lineup for Game 4 on Sunday.
Wotherspoon was a healthy scratch for Game 3 but will draw back into Boston's lineup for Game 4 on Sunday vs. Florida. The 26-year-old has appeared in seven games so far in the playoffs and has an assist, eight SOG and four PIMs while averaging 16:54 TOI.
Hoglander is expected to be a healthy scratch on Sunday in Edmonton.
Hoglander has struggled so far in his first career playoff action and is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 3 on Sunday in Edmonton. The 23-year-old scored 24 goals during the regular season but has only one assist, four SOG, two PIMs and a -2 plus/minus through eight playoff games so far.
Line Change
Karlsson is expected to make his playoff debut on Sunday for Game 3 in Edmonton.
With Phil Di Giuseppe missing Game 3 due to personal reasons, Linus Karlsson is expected to make his playoff debut on Sunday in Edmonton. The 24-year-old only played in four games for the Canucks during the regular season but appeared in 60 games for Abbotsford (AHL) and had 23 goals and 60 points.
Line Change
Di Giuseppe (personal) is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 3 on Sunday vs. Edmonton.
Di Giuseppe was not present at Vancouver's morning skate and will miss Game 3 on Sunday due to personal reasons. The 30-year-old has struggled thus far in the playoffs, with only one assist, two SOG, and two PIMs in eight games played.
Line Change
Aman is expected to make his Canucks’ playoff debut in Game 3 on Sunday.
Aman appeared in 43 games during the regular season for Vancouver but has yet to make an appearance in the playoffs and is expected to make his postseason debut on Sunday in Edmonton. The 24-year-old finished his second career NHL season with three goals, seven points, 28 SOG, eight PIMs and a -3 plus/minus while averaging 10:20 TOI/GP through his 43 games played.
Line Change
Brown will draw back into the Oilers’ lineup for a game 3 vs. Vancouver.
With Adam Henrique missing his second game of the playoffs due to injury, Connor Brown will draw back into the Oilers' lineup on Sunday for Game 3 vs. Vancouver. The 30-year-old right-winger made his Oilers' playoff debut in Game 1 of their second series and failed to pick up a point while also grabbing two PIMs in 7:35 TOI.
Line Change
Brodzinski will draw back into the Rangers' lineup for Game 4 on Saturday.
If Filip Chytil (illness) unable to go for Game 4, Jonny Brodzinski will make his 2023-24 playoff debut for the Rangers on Saturday vs. Carolina. The 30-year-old smashed his previous career highs in almost all statistical categories in 2023-24, with his six goals, 19 points, 89 SOG, eight PIMs and -3 plus/minus in 57 games played.
Line Change
Brodzinski is expected to draw back into the Rangers' lineup if Filip Chytil is unable to go for Game 4.
If Filip Chytil (illness) is unable to go for Game 4, it appears Jonny Brodzinski will make his 2023-24 playoff debut for the Rangers. The 30-year-old smashed his previous career highs in almost all statistical categories in 2023-24, with his six goals, 19 points, 89 SOG, eight PIMs and -3 plus/minus in 57 games played.
Line Change
Brown will be a healthy scratch for Game 2.
Wotherspoon will be a healthy scratch in Game 3 vs. the Panthers.
Line Change
Boqvist is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 3.
Line Change
Lauko is expected to draw into the Bruins lineup for Game 3 vs. the Panthers.
Line Change
Wagner will be a healthy scratch for Game 2 in Dallas.
Line Change
Rempe is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 3 in Carolina.
Rempe has only played 7:06 TOI and 4:03 TOI in the first two games of this series and will come out of the lineup for Game 3 in Carolina. As good as the Rangers' record has been with Rempe in the lineup, Filip Chytil will replace him, playing his first game since November 2nd.
Line Change
Comtois will be a healthy scratch for Game 3.
Comtois replaced Evgeny Kuznetsov in Game 2 while Kuznetsov was out with an undisclosed injury. However, Kuznetsov is back for Game 3, so Comtois will head back to the press box.
Line Change
Faksa will be a healthy scratch for Game 2 vs. Colorado.
Faksa has missed some time in the postseason due to injury but will be a healthy scratch on Thursday with Mason Marchment returning to the lineup. Expect Evgenii Dadonov to move down the lineup to replace Faksa on the fourth line.
Line Change
Brown will draw back into Edmonton's lineup for Game 1 on Wednesday vs. Vancouver.
Brown will make his Oilers' playoff debut on Wednesday as he draws back into the lineup for the injured Adam Henrique (lower body) for Game 1 vs. Vancouver. The 30-year-old right-winger struggled mightily in his first season in Edmonton, with only four goals, eight assists, 108 SOG, 10 PIMs and -8 plus/minus in 71 games played. He is expected to take a fourth-line role on Wednesday.
Line Change
Brown is expected to be a healthy scratch on Wednesday for Game 2 vs. Florida.
Brown made his Bruins' playoff debut in Game 1, picking up two PIMs during 8:27 TOI and will return to the press box as Jesper Boqvist returns to the lineup on Wednesday. The 31-year-old appeared in 11 regular season games, picking up just one assist, and seven SOG.
NHL Line Changes
NHL line changes are essential in keeping a team’s players fresh on the ice over the course of a hard-fought 60-minute matchup. With shift changes occurring rapidly throughout any given game, we are here to provide you with everything you need to know regarding line changes.
Making sure a team is efficiently making line changes can be essential to their success within a matchup, as it ensures that the players needed on the ice to gain the upper hand are ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. For NHL daily fantasy hockey players, knowing how to track line changes can be important as you look to keep tabs on the players you’ve drafted to your lineup and their production.
On The Fly
Unlike other sports where play must come to a stop in order to make a player substitution, in hockey, players can switch in-and-out of play on the fly. This helps in keeping the breakneck pace of the contest going, increasing the amount of action from whistle-to-whistle and avoiding any unnecessary stoppages.
On the fly changes are generally done when a team is in possession of the puck and are looking to make a transition play from their own end to their opponent’s side of the rink. Players must be aware of the action around them when making an on the fly substitution as a poorly timed switch could leave themselves vulnerable to an odd-man rush on the other end.
In order to make successful line changes on the fly it is up to the team coaching staff to keep players informed on when their line matchups are due to hit the ice. Generally, with both forwards and defensive pairings, line changes go from the first line trickling its way down to the fourth. Depending on the situation of the game, coaches may opt to give a particular line more playing time, increasing the amount of shifts they receive.
Play Stoppages
NHL line changes can also be made during stoppage of play, with both sides being given the chance to put fresh bodies on the ice ahead of the upcoming faceoff. Examples of a play stoppage that would allow teams to make line changes are after minor or major penalties, offsides, icing, and puck out of play calls. These line changes are often much more calculated as each coach has time to survey the other team and decide what would be the most advantageous line combination that will provide them with a competitive advantage.
Bench Configuration
It may seem like a confusing and unorganized area of the game, but in hockey there is a fair amount of strategy put into the bench configuration within a matchup. With both benches positioned in the neutral zone, making sure that players can quickly hop the boards and get into the game is key to making successful line changes. Benches are generally set so that players entering into the game on the fly are in the best possible position on the ice to fulfill their role.
Generally, a bench in hockey will have the forwards positioned closest to the attacking zone, whereas the defenceman will be situated closest to their defensive zone. This separates the forward lines and defence pairings from on another on each end of the bench so that groups can easily stay together. From here the rested forwards ready to enter into the game will be placed in the centre of the bench, positioned near the coaches so they can easily receive instruction before hitting the ice. This is also advantageous as players coming off the ice for a line change will often enter from the opposite side they came onto the ice from, preventing any unnecessary traffic or confusion when making a change. While each team may have their own preferences on how to configure their bench, these are the most common ways they are run.
Line Change Rules
Understanding the rules of NHL line changes in hockey is an understated part of the game and when used correctly can swing the tide of a matchup in your favour. Without in-depth understanding of line changes in hockey, this can cause costly mistakes that can result in minor penalties, lengthy shifts, or mismatches off a faceoff.
Last Line Change
The last line change rule exists so that the home team is able to make an adjustment to whatever lineup the visiting team decides to roll out after a stoppage in play. This rule was designed to make NHL line changes efficient, as well as provide both sides with the chance to strategically place their players based on the lines sent out by their opponents.
For example, after the whistle, the home team’s coach can elect to make a line change to the personnel on the ice. After that, the visiting coach will send out any new players into the game off of a line change. Thanks to the last line change rule, the home team coach is now granted the opportunity to make one last line change before play resumes to counter whatever line changes were made by the opposing team.
For daily fantasy sports bettors this is where having ample knowledge of each NHL team can come in handy. You can envision how each team may look to gain a competitive advantage over their opponent during a possession, drafting players who are set up for success within a matchup.
Penalties & Infractions
While NHL line changes are meant to be an efficient and simple way to keep the game being played at a fast-pace with minimal interruptions, there is still room for serious error during these substitutions. It’s not uncommon to see teams assessed for a penalty due to a botched line change, resulting in a power play opportunity for the opposing team.
A common penalty called as a result of a poorly executed line change is “too many men on the ice”. This penalty results when the offending team has six or more skaters (including the goaltender) on the ice at any given time and comes in physical contact with the puck. While players entering in the game during a shift change are eligible to hop the boards and get in on the action once their teammate is within five feet of the bench, they must time this correctly or they could be hit with a premature substitution infraction. When a bench minor penalty such as too many men on the ice is assessed, it is up to the team’s head coach to decide who serves the penalty based on the players currently on the ice at the time of the penalty.
Another line change infraction to be aware of is in the case of an icing call. Icing is called when a team plays a puck from their own side of the red centre line across the red goal line in their opponents end. When icing is called, a faceoff will be taken from the end of the team that committed the infraction. During an icing call the team that was called for icing is not able to make any line changes, meaning they are forced to keep all players who were on the ice at the time of the infraction in the contest. Their opponents however are allowed to make any line change they desire, making this an incredibly beneficial call if they can strategize correctly.
How Line Changes Impact Fantasy Hockey
NHL line changes can come fast and suddenly so it can be challenging to keep track of certain players over the course of a matchup. This can make it difficult for avid fantasy hockey managers and sports bettors to know when the players they’ve wagered on are on the ice. Some broadcasts now incorporate various display mechanics that allow for you to see who is on the ice at any given time, making shift change tracking much simpler than ever before. Be sure to stay up-to-date on the jersey numbers of any players on your fantasy roster or that you bet on as a failsafe so that you can find them quickly while watching the action unfold.
Knowing how long a typical shift for a player entering into a matchup is can be an advantageous piece of knowledge for fantasy managers and bettors alike. The longer a player’s shift lasts, the higher their chances of registering a point or other statistical milestone which can help you in winning your fantasy matchups and/or bets placed on a game.