Line Change
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NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Jooris will draw back into the Hurricanes lineup on Saturday.
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Leivo will draw into the Maple Leafs lineup on Saturday.
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Yakupov will be promoted to the top line on Friday.
Yakupov, who played just 7:49 TOI on Wednesday, will swap places with Sven Andrighetto tonight and play with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Yakupov has two goals in his last eight games, but his promotion makes him an interesting daily play tonight.
Santini will be a healthy scratch on Friday.
Santini has been played well on the Devils’ top pairing but with the addition of Sami Vatanen on Thursday, Santini will be the first victim of a numbers game tonight. Vatanen will take his spot next to Andy Greene and brings a lot more offence so the table than Santini.
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Vatanen will make his Devils debut on Friday.
After being acquired for Adam Henrique, Joseph Blandisi and a third round pick on Thursday, Vatanen will immediately draw in on the top pair and top power play unit in Colorado tonight. Vatanen will take Steven Santini's spot with Andy Greene and will quarterback the top unit with Will Butcher. Vatanen has one goal, three assists and 22 shots on goal in 15 games this season.
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O’Regan will be a healthy scratch on Friday.
O’Regan has registered two assists in six games since being called up from San Jose (AHL), but will be a healthy scratch tonight in Florida. Ryan Carpenter will take O’Regan’s spot on the fourth line and Mikkel Boedker may see some PP time with O’Regan out.
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Carpenter will be back in the Sharks lineup on Friday.
Carpenter has been a healthy scratch for the last two games, but will replace Daniel O’Regan in the lineup tonight in Florida. Carpenter has yet to record a point in 12 games with the Sharks this season.
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Blandisi will make his Ducks debut on Friday.
Blandisi was acquired as a part of the Adam Henrique-Sami Vatanen trade on Thursday and will make his Ducks debut immediately. The 23-year-old had picked up three goals and 11 assists (14 points) in 19 games with Binghamton (AHL) this season and had nine points (3G / 6A) in 27 NHL games last year. Blandisi brings some offence and grit to the Ducks bottom-6.
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Henrique will make his Ducks debut on Friday.
After being acquired from the Devils on Thursday, Henrique will draw right into the Ducks lineup tonight. The Ducks did not do line rushes at their morning skate so there is no word who he will play with in his debut. Head coach Randy Carlyle did add that Henrique will see some power play time but wasn’t sure if he’ll use him on the penalty kill right away.
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Harpur will be a healthy scratch on Friday.
Harpur was in the Senators lineup for the last four games, but he will be replaced by Thomas Chabot in the lineup tonight. Chabot brings a lot more offence to the table than Harpur and the Senators definitely could use a shot in the arm.
Line Change
Chabot will be back in the Senators lineup on Friday.
Chabot has been a healthy scratch for the last two games, but will replace Ben Harpur in the lineup tonight vs. the Islanders. Chabot brings a much-needed boost to the Senators offence that has gone cole recently. Chabot has picked up three assists in five games with Ottawa this season.
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Bortuzzo is expected to be a healthy scratch on Friday.
Bortuzzo was a mainstay on the blueline while Jay Bouwmeester was out, but with Bouwmeester back and Carl Gunnarsson getting back in the lineup tonight, Bortuzzo will serve as a healthy scratch. The veteran defenseman has just one goal and four assists (five points) in 25 games this season.
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Blais is expected to be a healthy scratch on Friday.
Blais had one goal on three shots in two games with the Blues since being recalled from Chicago (AHL) but will be replaced by Oskar Sundqvist in the lineup tonight.
Gunnarsson is expected to be back in the Blues’ lineup on Friday.
Gunnarsson has been a healthy scratch for the last four games, but will replace Robert Bortuzzo in the lineup tonight vs. the Kings. Gunnarsson has just three goals and one assist (four points) in 20 games this season.
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Sundqvist is expected to draw into the Blues lineup on Friday.
Sundqvist was a healthy scratch vs. the Ducks, but will draw back in to the lineup tonight vs. the Kings. Sundqvist will replace Sammy Blais and is expected to play with Patrik Burgled and Vladimir Sobotka. He has just three assists in 22 games this season.
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Hunt is expected to be a healthy scratch on Friday.
Hunt was back in the lineup for the last two games, but is expected to come back out tonight with Radim Vrbata likely to return from injury. Hunt has just one assist in eight games with the Panthers.
Mayfield will be a healthy scratch on Friday.
The Islanders continue to shuffle their third pairing every couple of games. Mayfield has been in the lineup for the last four games, but will be replaced by Ryan Pulock tonight vs. the Senators.
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Hickey will be a healthy scratch on Friday.
The Islanders continue to shuffle their third pairing every couple of games. Hickey has been in the lineup for the last two games, but will be replaced by Dennis Seidenberg tonight vs. the Senators.
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.