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NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Marcus Johansson(LW)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
As recently as Sunday evening against the Blackhawks, Johansson was replaced on the top line at times by Perreault.“He was creating things, and Marcus hadn't to that point,"

Johansson failed to produce on the top line so coach Bruce Boudreau will attempt to jumpstart his second generation center. Last season he scored 13 goals and 27 points last season, moving between the first and third line pivot. He should at least climb to the 40-point level this season.

Source:
Capitals Watch 2011-10-04T18:18:34.000Z
Marcus Johansson
Zenon Konopka(C)|INA
Line Change
Line Change
That could mean Zenon Konopka takes a seat, although Konopka will probably be in the lineup Saturday against Toronto, in what is expected to be a more physical game.

After playing 82 games with the Islanders last season, Konopka could be on the outside of the lineup, looking in. He led the League in PIM with 307 so keep an eye on his playing time if you want to stream PIM.

Source:
Senators Extra 2018-07-18T17:53:35.833Z
Roman Horak(LW)|INA
Line Change
Line Change
Sounds like Roman Horak will be on the #Flames to start the season. Sutter says it'd have happened regardless of the Backlund injury.

Horak makes the camp regardless of the injury but may get sent down when the team gets fully healthy. Last season he scored 26 goals and 78 points as a member of the now-defunct Chilliwack Bruins. Look for him to produce a few goals with his veteran linemates but he will likely be available on the waiver wire in your league.

Source:
Pat Steinberg 2018-07-18T17:53:30.438Z
Kimmo Timonen(D)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Timonen will start the season with Andrej Meszaros, who he worked with in practice again on Tuesday.

Timonen should not be affected from the switch as Meszaros is a steady defender. Last season the Kuopio, Finland native scored six goals and 37 points in 82 games. He should continue manning the point on PP1 so expect around 40 points.

Source:
CSN Philly 2011-10-04T17:38:54.000Z
Kimmo Timonen
Jaromir Jagr(RW)|
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Line Change
“Hockey is a big part of my life,” he says, almost pleading his case. “Probably more than half. I love it. Nothing has changed. Later in life, you look [at things differently]. I’m almost 40 years old. There’s a lot of ups and downs in your life.

Jagr should perform admirably as the top line RW. A translation of last season's KHL stats would put the superstar in the 70 point range over a full season. At this point that looks like a solid pick in the 11th round.

Source:
CSN Philly 2011-10-04T17:33:34.000Z
Jaromir Jagr
Tyler Seguin(C)|DAL
Line Change
Line Change
Benoit Pouliot/Jordan Caron-Chris Kelly-Tyler Seguin

Seguin was expected to break out during his second NHL season but may experience some more growing pains on the third line. Last season he scored only 11 goals and 22 points through 74 games but broke out during the postseason. Expect a slight improvement on those totals.

Source:
Boston.com 2011-10-04T16:50:40.000Z
Tyler Seguin
Rich Peverley(C)|INA
Line Change
Line Change
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Rich Peverley

Peverley moved up a line to RW the second unit. Last season he scored four goals and seven points over 23 games with the Bruins but broke out during the postseason. Look for him to step up to the top line if there are any injuries.

Source:
Boston.com 2018-07-18T17:53:29.985Z
David Krejci(C)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Bostonbruins.com — Bruins forward David Krejci feels training camp has prepared him for the regular season, which starts Thursday night here at the TD Garden.

Krejci will start the season, and remain, the top line center for the Bruins. Last season he scored only 13 goals and finished the season with 62 points. Look him him to produce similarly to Joe Thornton if he can break the 20-goal plateau.

Source:
The Official Tumblr Home of the Boston Bruins 2011-10-04T16:28:13.000Z
David Krejci
Cam Fowler(D)|STL
Line Change
Line Change
The Ducks had the same situation last season with defenseman Cam Fowler.“He has been the same steady type player we expected right from the first day of camp,” Carlyle said of Smith-Pelly. “He did it last year in camp, too.”

Speaking of Fowler, it sounds like he will start the season on the top pairing alongside Lubomir Visnovsky. In his rookie season he finished the year with 10 goals and 40 points. Expect similar production, if not more, in his second full season as he should bypass the sophomore slump.

Source:
OC Register Ducks Blog 2011-10-04T16:25:13.000Z
Cam Fowler
Matt Beleskey(LW)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Winger Matt Beleskey (shoulder) will play against Jokerit, and defenseman Kurtis Foster (leg) also could play.

Sounds like Beleskey is approaching 100 percent. The 23-year-old proved in the past he can fill the back of the net when he scored 11 goals in 60 games back in 2009-2010. Look for him to challenge Andrew Gordon for the third-line LW slot.

Source:
OC Register Ducks Blog 2011-10-04T16:22:53.000Z
Matt Beleskey
Devante Smith-Pelly(RW)|
Line Change
Line Change
Yet, it is another crucial night for Devante Smith-Pelly, the 19-year-old forward whose bid to stick with the Ducks long-term will at least stretch into the regular season.

Smith-Pelly survived most of the roster cuts and figures to spend at least nine games on the third line. Through 67 games, the powerforward scored 36 goals and 66 points. Keep an eye on him for the future.He is viewed favorably by most scouts so keep an eye on him in the future.

Source:
OC Register Ducks Blog 2011-10-04T16:21:10.000Z
Devante Smith-Pelly
Mark Stone(RW)|VGK
Line Change
Line Change
The league award caps a heady few weeks for Stone, who was signed to an entry level contract by the Senators after attending the NHL club’s rookie camp for the second consecutive year. Stone had four goals and five assists with a plus-3 rating to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to two wins and a shootout loss over the weekend.

Stone drew a good deal of press after signing his entry-level contract. Last season he scored 37 goals and 106 points with the Brandon Wheat Kings. He currently leads the entire WHL with 13 points.

Source:
Senators Extra 2011-10-04T16:17:45.000Z
Mark Stone
Michael Ryder(RW)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
FRISCO -- One of the reasons the Dallas Stars signed Michael Ryder as a free agent in July is he had a history of chemistry with Mike Ribeiro. It didn’t take long for Ryder and Ribeiro to rediscover that chemistry in training camp and the preseason.

The Stars signed Ryder to score goals -- a task he can certainly handle. Last season Ryder managed to score 18 goals while switching between the press box and top three lines. He's scored 25+ goals four times and 30 goals twice so expect him to fill the net alongside Mike Ribeiro.

Source:
Andrew's Stars Page 2011-10-04T16:08:26.000Z
Michael Ryder
Kyle Clifford(LW)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
I think the line that I had together from the beginning of the training camp, with Clifford and Stoll, I was hoping that something good could happen by the end of the camp and that I would see a line that would be playing against the top lines of the opposition. But that might be pushing Cliffy a little bit too fast right now.

Clifford should start the season on the fourth line with the potential to move up in line. In his rookie season he scored seven goals and 14 points rotating between the third and fourth line. Sounds like the former 2nd rounder is experiencing some growing pains; could be in for a sophomore slump.

Source:
LA Kings Insider 2011-10-04T16:04:57.000Z
Kyle Clifford
Brad Richardson(C)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
I’m going to put Richardson in there with Stoll now. I think Richie’s camp has been very good. He’s skating well. His game is in order. So the line with Richardson, Stoll and Hunter, right now, seems to be a line that would work good for me, and I’m going to go with that.

Richardson should rotate between all four lines as he remains the team's most versatile forward. Last season he scored seven goals and 19 points through 68 games. Expect around 10 goals and 20 points over a full season.

Source:
LA Kings Insider 2011-10-04T16:02:59.000Z
Brad Richardson
James Reimer(G)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Behind his out-of-nowhere emergence as the Maple Leafs’ No. 1 goalie were years of mind-busting customized Matrix-like workouts for goaltending reflexes — the result of a chance meeting, really — at a fitness centre in Maple Ridge, B.C.

Reimer's work ethic should alleviate some concerns over his long-term value. Last season the 23-year-old won 20 of his 37 games played while finishing the season with a .921 SV%. Expect a slight drop off in his play but possibly not as bad as expected.

Source:
The Star 2011-10-04T11:15:13.000Z
James Reimer

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.