NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Bo Horvat(C)|NYI
Line Change
Line Change
Horvat will remain with the Canucks passed the nine game mark.

Tonight will mark Horvat’s ninth game of the season and he is here to stay. There was some speculation that he might be available for Team Canada in the World Juniors this December, but that won’t be the case. Horvat has looked like he has belonged and picked up one goal and three assists in his last two games.

Source:
@VanCanucks 2014-11-25T13:53:20.000Z
Bo Horvat
Brandon Pirri(C)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Pirri skating on the Panthers top-line on Tuesday.

Pirri had two shots in 15:44 TOI in his return to the Panthers lineup on Monday. He centred the third line last night, but is skating with Nick Bjugstad and Jonathan Huberdeau on the Panthers’ top-line this morning. He had three goals in three games before being injured and the move to the top-line should give him more scoring opportunities. He is someone worth keeping an eye on in deep leagues.

Source:
George Richards 2014-11-25T11:15:33.000Z
Brandon Pirri
David Booth(LW)|
Line Change
Line Change
Booth expected to make his Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

Booth was recalled from his conditioning stint this morning and is expected make his season debut on Wednesday. He skated on a line with Trevor Smith and Joffrey Lupul this morning and should be on a similar line vs. the Penguins.

Source:
Darren Dreger 2014-11-24T17:12:03.000Z
David Booth
Jakub Kindl(D)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Kindl in; Lashoff out.

Kindl served as a healthy scratch in the Red Wings’ last four games, but will draw back into the lineup tonight vs. the Senators. He will be paired with Xavier Ouellet and man the point on the second power-play unit tonight. He has four points (2G / 2A) in 16 games this season.

Source:
Chuck Pleiness 2014-11-24T12:36:28.000Z
Jakub Kindl
Stephen Weiss(C)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Weiss will play on Monday vs. Ottawa.

Tonight will be Weiss’ second game of the season and just the 28th game that he has played in the last two seasons with Detroit. He had a successful conditioning stint and the Wings’ are hoping he will be able to stay healthy for an extended period of time. The former four-time 20-plus goal scorer will play on the third line with Darren Helm and Tomas Jurco as well as on the second power-play.

Source:
Ansar Khan 2014-11-24T11:28:49.000Z
Stephen Weiss
Alexander Semin(RW)|
Line Change
Line Change
Semin is expected to be back in the Hurricanes lineup on Saturday.

Semin was a healthy scratch on Thursday vs. the Kings, but he should be back in tonight. Semin skated on the third line with Jeff Skinner and Victor Rask this morning, which suggests he will play. He has suited up for 14 games so far and is still searching for his first goal of the season. He has a wicked wrister, so it should only be a matter of time before he finds the back of the net.

Source:
Michael Smith 2014-11-22T17:20:01.000Z
Alexander Semin
Brenden Dillon(D)|NJD
Line Change
Line Change
Dillon is expected to make his Sharks debut on Saturday.

Dillon was acquired from the Stars on Friday and despite his equipment not making it to San Jose this morning, he is expected to play tonight vs. the Coyotes. Dillon’s defence partner will likely be fluid for a while until the coaches can decide where he fits best.

Source:
David Pollak 2014-11-22T15:52:24.000Z
Brenden Dillon
Jason Demers(RD)|EDM
Line Change
Line Change
Demers will make his Stars debut on Saturday.

Demers was acquired from the Sharks on Friday and he skated on the Stars’ second pair with Trevor Daley. “He’s a good puck-moving guy, a right-handed shot,” said Daley. “He’s a guy that can jump in to be in your top four and eat up a lot of minutes.” Daley will also man the point with Alex Goligoski on the Stars second power-play unit.

Source:
Mark Stepneski 2014-11-22T15:44:59.000Z
Jason Demers
Bryan Allen(D)|
Line Change
Line Change
Allen will make his Canadiens debut on Saturday.

Allen was acquired for Rene Bourque on Thursday and will be in the lineup tonight vs. the Bruins. Allen does not provide much in the way of offence, but he is a reliable blue liner who brings physicality and size to the Habs’ back-end. Allen is in the final year of a three-year deal.

Source:
DJ Bean 2014-11-22T12:39:18.000Z
Bryan Allen
John Klingberg(D)|SJS
Line Change
Line Change
Klingberg will skate on the Stars’ top-pair and top power-play unit.

After acquiring Jason Demers from the Sharks, the Stars have moved Klingberg up to the top-pair with Alex Goligoski. He will also man the point on the top PP unit. His NHL career has been off to a hot start, posting one goal and four assists in his first six games. He makes for a great add in standard leagues.

Source:
Mark Stepneski 2014-11-22T12:12:58.000Z
John Klingberg
Alexander Khokhlachev(C)|
Line Change
Line Change
Khokhlachev will replace David Krejci on the Bruins top line.

Khokhlachev was recalled on Thursday on an emergency basis, it was presumably to replace Krejci in the lineup tonight vs. the Blue Jackets. He has five goals and 11 assists in 15 games for Providence.

Source:
@NHLBruins 2014-11-21T18:45:56.000Z
Alexander Khokhlachev

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.