Tanner Jeannot will be a healthy scratch for Game 5 vs. Toronto.
NHL Hockey Player News
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Logan Stanley will be a healthy scratch for Game 5 vs. Vegas.
Stanley played 8:58 TOI in Game 4 and was a -1 plus/minus but will be a healthy scratch for Game 5 Thursday vs. Vegas. Kyle Capobianco will replace the towering defenseman in the Jets' lineup.
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Kyle Capobianco is expected to make his playoff debut in Game 5 vs. Vegas Thursday.
Capobianco had two goals, 14 SOG, six PIMs and a +1 plus/minus through 14 games during the regular season and will make his playoff debut in Game 5 Thursday vs. Vegas. He will replace Logan Stanley in the Jets' lineup.
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Tye Kartye is expected to make his NHL debut on line one in Game 5 vs. Colorado.
Kartye had 28 goals, 29 assists, 74 PIMs and a +17 plus/minus through 72 games with Coachella Valley (AHL) this season and will make his NHL debut in Game 5 as he replaced the injured Jarrod McCann on Seattle's top-line. The 21-year-old was signed as an undrafted free agent from the Soo Greyhounds (OHL) a year ago.
Michael Bunting will be a scratch for the Maple Leafs in Game 5 Thursday.
Bunting is finished serving his three-game suspension for a high hit on Erik Cernak but is expected to remain out of the Maple Leafs' lineup upon his return. It is a bit of a surprising move after the 27-year-old had 23 goals and 49 points through 82 regular season games.
Edler will be a healthy scratch for Game 5 in Edmonton.
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Walker will draw into the Kings lineup for Game 5 in Edmonton.
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Derek Stepan will draw back into the Hurricanes' lineup for Game 5.
Stepan was a healthy scratch for Game 4 but will draw into the lineup for Game 5 as he replaces Jack Drury (injury) in the Hurricane's lineup. The 32-year-old brings 112 career playoff games of experience to Carolina's roster, with 20 goals and 54 points across that span.
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Morgan Geekie (personal) will return to the Krakens' lineup for Game 4 Monday.
Geekie missed Game 3 due to the birth of his child but will draw back into the Kraken's top-six Monday for Game 4 after taking morning rushes. The 24-year-old has a goal, three SOG, and a +2 plus/minus through the first two games of the series and will make addition to the Kraken's lineup after taking 14+ shifts in both of the first two games.
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Logan Stanley is expected to make his 2022-23 playoff debut Monday for Game 4 vs. Vegas.
Stanley had a goal, two assists, 11 SOG, 21 PIMs and a -1 plus/minus through 19 games during the regular season and will make his 2022-23 playoff debut Monday in Game 4. He will take the spot of Josh Morrisey (injury) who is out for the remainder of the first round.
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Carlsson will make his series debut in Game 4 vs. the Bruins.
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Stepan will be a healthy scratch for Game 4 vs. the Islanders.
MacEachern will make his series debut in Game 4 vs. the Islanders.
Jesse Puljujarvi will make his 2022-23 playoff debut Friday for Game 3 vs. the New York Islanders.
Puljujarvi was a healthy scratch for the Hurricanes first two playoff games but will draw into the lineup for Teuvo Teravainen (injury). The 24-year-old had five goals, 11 assists, 125 SOG, 32 PIMs and a -13 plus/minus through 75 games with Carolina and Edmonton during the regular season.
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Jaret Anderson-Dolan will draw back into the Kings' lineup for Game 3.
Anderson-Dolan was a healthy scratch for the Kings' in their previous game but will draw back into the lineup for Game 3 Friday vs. Edmonton. He will replace the injured Blake Lizotte (lower-body) after having seven goals, 12 points and a -11 plus/minus through 46 games during the regular season.
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Zack MacEwen is expected to make his 2022-23 playoff debut in Game 3 vs. Edmonton.
MacEwen has yet to appear in the 2022-23 playoffs but will be in the Kings' lineup for Game 3 as he replaced Arthur Kaliyev on Los Angeles fourth line. The 26-year-old had four goals, six assists, 73 SOG, 66 PIMs and a -11 plus/minus through 56 games with Los Angeles and Philadelphia this season.
Arthur Kaliyev is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 3 Friday vs. Edmonton.
Kaliyev had one SOG and a -1 plus/minus through the first two games of the Kings' opening series and will be a healthy scratch for Game 3 as Zack MacEwen replaces him in Los Angles lineup. The 21-year-old had 13 goals, 28 points and a -5 plus/minus through 56 games during the regular season.
Matt Grzelcyk will make his playoff 2022-23 playoff debut for Game 3 Friday vs. Florida.
Grzelcyk had four goals, 22 assists, 102 SOG, 28 PIMs and a +46 plus/minus through 75 games played during the regular season and will draw into the Bruins' lineup for the first time this postseason. He will replace Connor Clifton in Boston's lineup for Game 3.
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Jakub Lauko is expected to make his playoff debut for Game 3 Friday vs. Florida.
Laura had four goals, three assists, 17 SOG, 11 PIMs and a +2 plus/minus through 23 games during the regular season and is expected to make his NHL playoff debut in Game 3 Friday. He will replace Nick Foligno in the Bruins' lineup on Boston's fourth line.
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Connor Clifton will be a healthy scratch for Game 3 Friday vs. Florida.
Clifton failed to pick up a point through the first two playoff games but had four SOG, and a -1 plus/minus and will be a healthy scratch Friday vs. Florida as he is replaced by Matt Grzelyk in the Bruins' lineup. The 27-year-old had five goals, 18 assists, 93 SOG, 60 PIMs and a +20 plus/minus through 78 regular season games.
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.