Line Change
Byron will not make his Canadiens’ debut on Wednesday.
Byron was claimed off of waivers on Tuesday, but will be held out of the lineup for the season opener vs. the Maple Leafs.
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NHL Scratches & Line Changes
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Donskoi could open the season on the Sharks’ top line.
A few days before the Sharks season gets underway, the 23-year-old Donskoi found himself skating on a line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. Donkoi has spent the last six years playing with Karpat of the Finnish league before signing with the Sharks. Last season he led Karpat with 49 points (19G / 30A) in 58 games—12 more points than second on the team.
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Larkin has made the Red Wings’ roster and is expected to skate on the top line.
Larkin, 19, was the Red Wings’ first round pick (15th overall) in 2014 and has made tremendous strides since then. In his freshman year at the University of Michigan, he posted 15 goals and 32 assists (47 points) in 35 games. He decided to turn pro after that and scored five points (3G / 2A) in six playoff games with Grand Rapids. This September he was impressive as well, posting three goals, one assists and 15 shots on goal in five preseason games. This resume of work earned him a spot on the opening night roster and head coach Jeff Blashill said he plans on starting Larkin on a line with Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader.
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Domi has officially made the Coyotes opening night roster.
Domi, 20, had just one assists, nine shots and a minus-2 rating in the preseason, but showed enough to crack the opening night roster after being sent home last year. The 2013 12th overall pick had 102 points (32G / 70A) in 57 games with London (OHL) last year.
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Slepyshev could start the season in the Oilers top-6.
Slepyshev will play on a line with Connor McDavid and Taylor Hall in the Oilers’ final preseason game. Slepyshev has two goals (both GWG) and two assists in six game this preseason. The 21-year-old had 15 goals and 10 assists (25 points) in 58 games with Ufa Salivate Yulayev (KHL) last season. If he does in fact start the season on that line, he makes for a speculative add in standard leagues.
Hanifin has made the Hurricanes opening night roster.
Hanifin was the fifth overall pick in this summer’s draft and had an impressive enough training camp to make the Hurricanes opening night roster. Carolina could elect to give him an extended nine game look to start the season, before making the decision to burn the first year of his entry level deal.
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Avalanche plan to use MacKinnon as their third line centre to begin the season.
McKinnon has played the majority of his young career on the wing, but if they use MacKinnon in the middle it allows the Avalanche to give 18-year-old Mikko Rantanen a shot in the NHL and opens the door for Curtis Glencross and Jack Skille a chance to make the team on PTO’s. If MacKinnon indeed ends up on the third line, look for Rantanen and Blake Comeau to play on his wings.
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Stralman working on the Lightning’s top power-play unit.
In his first season in Tampa Bay, Stralman averaged 2:28 PP/TOI per game, which was way up from the 0:45 PP/TOI he averaged in three years with New York—the increased playing time resulted in 14 PPP (2G / 12A) after he had just four PPP in the previous three seasons. Stralman is once again working with the first PP-unit to start the 2015-16 season, so it looks like the Lightning plan to use him in the same way as last year. He had a career high 39 points (9G / 30A) a season ago.
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Boedker could move to the point on the Coyotes’ power-play in 2015-16.
Arizona is trying to replace Keith Yandle on the power-play after trading him to New York last March. Bodega has never played the point in the NHL, but used to play there alongside Oliver Edman-Larsson when they were both in the AHL. Boedker could be a good fit on the blueline and it could lead to more power-play points for the 25-year-old.
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Panthers rookie Lawson Crouse will be given a nine-game NHL ‘audition’ to start the season.
Crouse, 18, was selected 11th overall in this summer’s draft. The 6-foot-4, 215 lbs. winger tallied 29 goals and 22 assists (51 points) in 56 games with the Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) last season. Crouse has some competition to make the squad, but his size could prove to be a key factor in the Panthers decision. After the nine-game tryout, the Panthers will decide what is best for his future.
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Wotherspoon will be a healthy scratch in Game 3.
Wotherspoon has failed to record a point and has been limited to just 6:39 TOI/GP in six playoff games so far. The 22-year-old will take a seat with the more experience Rapheal Diaz getting back into the lineup after missing the last 12 games with a lower-body injury.
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Kindl will be in the lineup for Game 7 vs. the Lightning.
Tonight will be Kindl’s first playoff game of the season. He has five points (1G / 4A) in 18 career NHL play off games. After serving as a healthy scratch in the first six games of the series, he will get in tonight because Marek Zidlicky is out with a concussion.
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Marchenko will be in the lineup for Game 7 in Tampa Bay.
Marchenko, 23, failed to register a point in the first two games of the series. He sat the last four games, but with Niklas Kronwall suspended, Marcheko will get back into the lineup tonight. Overall he has two points (1G / 1A) in 15 games with the Red Wings this season.
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Teravainen is expected to play in in Game 1 of the second round.
Teravainen had one assist in two games in the first round but it looks like he will be in the lineup for Game 1 on Friday. With Teravainen likely back in, look for Kris Versteeg to be a healthy scratch.
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Versteeg is expected to be a healthy scratch in Game 1 of the second round.
Versteeg had one goal in six games during the first round and it looks like he will be a healthy scratch in Game 1 on Friday. With Versteeg likely out, Teuvo Teravainen is expected to get back into the lineup.
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Latta is expected to be a healthy scratch in Game 7.
Latta, 23, will be replaced by 32-year-old Curtis Glencross in the lineup for Game 7 on Monday. Latta has no points and a minus-1 rating in four games in the playoffs.
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Glencross will return to the Capitals lineup for Game 7.
Glencross has been a healthy scratch in the last three games, but will get back into the lineup for Game 7. The Capitals will get the 32-year-old Glencross in and take 23-year-old Michael Latta out in a pivotal game 7. The Capitals are opting to get a little more experience in the lineup tonight. Glencross has four goals and three assists (7 points) in 21 games (18 in regular season) since being acquired by the Capitals.
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Bergenheim will be a healthy scratch in Game 5.
Bergeheim was a minus-1 in 10:11 TOI in Game 4 and has not registered a point in three postseason games. He will take a seat to make room for Matt Cooke to play.
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.