Line Change
Comtois will draw into the Hurricanes' lineup for Game 2.
NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Wagner is expected to draw back into Colorado's lineup for Game 1 on Tuesday.
Wagner has yet to appear in the playoffs for Colorado but will draw into the lineup for Nikolai Kovalenko and play on the third line. The 32-year-old had one goal and one assist in 13 games played with the Avalanche during the regular season while averaging just 7:27 TOI/GP.
Line Change
Kovalenko will be a healthy scratch for Game 1 on Tuesday in Dallas.
Kovalenko appeared in two games during Colorado's opening series win over Winnipeg but will head to the press box for the Avalanche's opening game in Dallas. The 24-year-old will be replaced by Chris Wagner after failing to pick up a point while averaging just below 7 minutes TOI.
Line Change
Shattenkirk will be a healthy scratch for Game 1 in Florida.
Shattenkirk played in six of the seven games during the Bruins' round one win over the Maple Leafs. He had one assist and just four shots on goal and will be replaced by Derek Forbort in Game 1 in Florida. Expect either Hampus Lindholm or Mason Lohrei to take over for him on one of the Bruins' power-play units.
Line Change
Forbort will draw into the Bruins lineup for Game 1 in Florida.
This will be Forbort's first game since March 2nd. He was initially sidelined due to injury but sat as a healthy scratch for most of round one vs. the Maple Leafs. Forbort will replace Kevin Shattenkirk in the lineup for Game 1 against Florida.
Carlo (personal) will be a game-time decision after the birth of his child this morning.
Carlo missed Boston's morning skate due to the birth of his second child but is expected to be a game-time decision for Game 1 on Monday in Florida as he attempts to get to the team for game time. If Carlo is unable to go, Derek Forbort is expected to replace him according to this morning's line rushes. The 27-year-old had a strong opening series vs. Toronto, with a goal, two points and a +2 plus/minus.
Line Change
Boqvist is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 1 on Monday vs. Florida.
Boqvist appeared in all seven of Boston's opening series games vs. Toronto but appears to be a healthy scratch for Game 1 on Monday in Florida. The 25-year-old averaged 9:28 TOI in the opening round and had an assist, four SOG and a +1 plus/minus. He is expected to be replaced by Patrick Brown.
Line Change
Brown is expected to draw back into Boston's lineup for Game 1 on Monday vs. Florida.
Brown did not appear in any of Boston's seven opening series games but is expected to make his 2023-24 playoff debut on Monday. The 31-year-old only appeared in 11 games for Boston during the regular season and had an assist, seven SOG and two PIMs. He is expected to replace Jesper Boqvist on Boston's fourth line for Game 1.
Line Change
Ty Dellandrea will be a scratch for Game 7 vs. Vegas.
Dellandrea has appeared in four games for Dallas in their opening series but will be a scratch for Game 7 vs. Vegas as Radek Faksa returns to the lineup. The 23-year-old had one goal, five SOG, and two PIMs while averaging 11:57 TOI/GP through his four games played.
Robertson will come out of the Maple Leafs lineup for Game 7.
Line Change
Hutton is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 6.
Hutton made his series debut in Game 5 but will come out of the lineup for Game 6. Zach Whitecloud will draw back in and replace him on the Golden Knights' blueline.
Whitecloud is expected to be back in the Golden Knights lineup for Game 6.
Whitecloud was a healthy scratch in Game 5 but will replace Ben Hutton in the lineup for Game 6. Whitecloud has no points, a minus-1 rating, two shots on goal, three blocked shots and six hits in four games this series.
Dorofeyev is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 6.
Dorofeyev drew into the lineup for Game 5 but will immediately come out for Game 6. Keegan Kolesar will replace him in the Golden Knights' bottom-6.
Kolesar will draw back into the Golden Knights lineup for Game 6.
Kolesar was a healthy scratch for Game 5 but will replace Pavel Dorofeyev for Game 6. Kolesar has not registered a point and has four shots and 18 hits in four games in the series.
Reaves will be a healthy scratch for Game 6 vs. the Bruins.
Line Change
Gregor will draw into the Maple Leafs lineup for Game 6.
Line Change
Grzelyck is expected to be a healthy scratch on Thursday for Game 6.
Grzelyck will head to the press box for Game 6 as he is replaced by Kevin Shattenkirk in Boston's lineup on Thursday. The 30-year-old has only appeared in three games in the playoffs thus far, and is without a point, has three SOG and two PIMs while averaging 18:10 TOI/GP.
Line Change
Shattenkirk is expected to draw back into the Bruins' lineup for Game 6 on Thursday.
Shattenkirk will draw back into Boston's lineup for Game 6 on Thursday after being a healthy scratch for their previous game and will replace Matt Grzelyck. The 35-year-old has yet to pick up a point through four games played but has three SOG and a -3 plus/minus while averaging 13:11 TOI/GP.
Line Change
Beecher is expected to draw back into Boston's lineup for Game 6.
Beecher was a healthy scratch for Game 5 but will draw back into the lineup for Game 6 as he replaces the injured Danton Heinen. The 23-year-old scored Boston's first goal of the series vs. Toronto but has yet to put up another point throughout his four games played.
Whitecloud is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 5 on Wednesday vs. Dallas.
Whitecloud will be a healthy scratch for the first time in the playoffs for Game 5 on Wednesday as he is replaced by Ben Hutton in Vegas' lineup. The 27-year-old has averaged 15:51 TOI/GP in the playoffs thus far, but has yet to pick up a point alongside his two shots on goal.
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.