NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Markus Granlund(C)|
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Granlund will make his NHL debut on Thursday.

Granlund was the Flames second round pick (45th overall) in 2011. He has 23 goals and 21 assists (44 points) in 50 games with Abbotsford (AHL) in his first North American season. Granlund is expected to centre the fourth line with Paul Byron and Westgarth on his wings.

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Pat Steinberg 2014-02-26T14:03:01.000Z
Markus Granlund
Henrik Tallinder(D)|INA
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Tallinder will be back in the Sabres lineup tonight.

Tallinder was given the night off on Tuesday, but will play tonight and will likely replace John Scott on the blueline. Tallinder has two goals and five assists to go with a minus-15 rating this season. He is a potential deadline target for teams in need of blueline depth.

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Mike Harrington 2018-07-18T17:53:19.301Z
Kimmo Timonen(D)|FA
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Timonen may rest Thursday vs. San Jose.

Timonen returned to practice with the Flyers on Wednesday, but skated on the extra pair with Hal Gill. Skating with Gill suggests that the Flyers may elect to give Timonen the night off on Thursday after playing six games with Finland at the Olympics. Monitor his status during Thursday's morning skate. The Flyers D-pairs will be: Meszaros-Streit, Coburn-Grossmann, Gustafsson-L. Schenn.

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Tim Panaccio 2014-02-26T11:10:57.000Z
Kimmo Timonen
Tuukka Rask(G)|BOS
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Rask will not travel with Bruins to Buffalo, Chad Johnson starts.

Rask started four of six games for Finland at the Olympics and did so while battling the flu. The Bruins will have him stay in Boston to rest and then likely get him back in the crease on Saturday when the B's host the Washington Capitlas. Niklas Svedberg, who was recalled on Monday, will serve as Johnson's backup in Buffalo.

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Mike Loftus 2014-02-25T15:03:49.000Z
Tuukka Rask
Valeri Nichushkin(RW)|COL
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Nichushkin appears to be the odd man out for Russia on Thursday.

In line rushes at Monday's practice, Nichushkin skated as an extra. With a team stacked with polished NHL and KHL veterans it is not surprising to see the 18-year-old sit on the big stage. He could see some action as the tournament progresses, but don't expect to see him on Thursday vs. Slovenia.

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Cörey Masisak 2014-02-10T10:29:52.000Z
Valeri Nichushkin
Sergei Bobrovsky(G)|FLA
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Bobrovsky said that Team Russia has not discussed who will start on Thursday vs. Slovenia.

The expectation is that Semyon Varlamov will be Russia's starter because of more experienced international resume, but Bobrovsky made a great case for himself in the last month leading up to Sochi. Over the last 30 days, Bob has won nine of 13 starts while posting a 2.17 GAA and .931 SV%. In contrast, Varly has won eight of 12 games with a 2.79 GAA and .919 SV%.

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Dmitry Doronin 2014-02-10T10:26:09.000Z
Sergei Bobrovsky
Teemu Selanne(RW)|FA
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Ducks winger Teemu Selanne will not play against the Nashville Predators on Saturday night in order to get some extra rest ahead of competing in his sixth Winter Olympics.

Selanne did not accompany the team to Nashville on Friday as the club and he agreed earlier this week on him skipping the contest before he heads to Sochi to play for Finland. Selanne has been given a lot of rest this season so it is not surprising to see him get rest right before the Olympics.

Source:
Eric Stephens 2014-02-08T10:55:46.000Z
Teemu Selanne
Sakari Salminen()|FA
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Sakari Salminen will replace Valteri Filppula on Team Finland's Olmypic roster.

Salminen, 25, was never drafted into the NHL. He is currently in his first year in the KHL and plays with Jarko Immonen (Koivu's replacement) with Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo. He has tallied 18 goals and 28 assists (46 points) in 50 games this season.

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Juha Hiitelä 2014-02-07T14:53:23.000Z
Sakari Salminen
Jarkko Immonen()|FA
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Jarkko Immonen will replace Mikko Koivu on Team Finland's Olympic roster.

Immonen, 30, was a Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick (8th Round / 254th overall) in 2002. He last played in the NHL in 2006-07, he only registered eight points (3G / 5A) in 20 career NHL games. He is currently in his fifth season in the KHL but his first with Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo. In 50 games this season he has 13 goals and 23 assists (36 points).

Source:
Juha Hiitelä 2014-02-07T14:53:40.000Z
Jarkko Immonen
Marcus Johansson(LW)|MIN
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Marcus Johansson has been named to the Swedish Olympic team as an injury replacement and will take the place of Vancouver’s Henrik Sedin.

Sedin has been playing through a rib injury for much of the last month and was visibly in pain on the ice, prompting the Canucks to sit him out of their last two games before the break. It will be Johansson’s first Olympic appearance. is in his fourth NHL season and is steadily adding to his offensive totals again this year. In 58 games for the Capitals, Johansson has seven goals and 29 assists. His addition is the second injury replacement in a week that Sweden, favored to be medal contenders in Sochi, has needed to make for ailing veterans.

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Katie Carerra 2014-02-07T10:39:41.000Z
Marcus Johansson
Patrick Kane(RW)|DET
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Kane will miss Friday's game to attend his grandfather's funeral.

Kane found out about his grandfather Donald's death just before the Blackhawks' 5-3 victory over the Kings that night. He went on to record two goals and an assist, pointing to the sky after his first goal of the night to honor his grandfather. Friday is the Blackhawks last game before the Olympic break, so up next for Kane is Sochi with Team USA. Look for him to be back on the ice with the Blackhawks on February 27 in New York.

Source:
Tracey Myers 2014-02-06T09:38:52.000Z
Patrick Kane
Zdeno Chara(LD)|FA
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Chara will not be available for the next two games as he heads to serve as the flag bearer for Slovakia at the opening ceremony.

Claude Julien’s bunch will have to find a way to make up for the 25:57 average ice time that Chara logs every night. The B’s recently recalled David Warsofsky from Providence, and he’ll be back in the lineup for the next two games. He’s obviously not being called upon to replace Chara, as every player will need to chip in and pick up his game.

Source:
Mike Cole 2014-02-05T12:34:46.000Z
Zdeno Chara

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.