Line Change
Jones will be a healthy scratch for Game 3 on Friday.
Jones will take a seat on Friday after playing in each of the first two games of the series. His absence makes way for the return of Samuel Girard (concussion).
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NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Lyubushkin (personal) left the team for the birth of his child and will be a game-time decision for Game 4 vs. Boston.
Lyubushkin was away from the Maple Leafs on Friday due to the birth of his child but is expected to be ready to play on Saturday for Game 4 vs. Boston. The 30-year-old shutdown defenseman has played well since being acquired at the trade deadline and has one assist, one SOG, two PIMs, and a +2 plus/minus in the first three games of the playoffs.
Line Change
Stanley is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 3 on Friday in Colorado.
Stanley will be the odd man out as Nate Schmidt returns to the Jets lineup on Friday for Game 3 in Colorado. The 25-year-old only appeared in 11 regular season games but had played in each of Winnipeg's opening playoff games, failing to pick up any points while averaging just 10:12 TOI.
Line Change
Schmidt will draw back into the Jets' lineup for Game 3 on Friday in Colorado.
Schmidt has yet to appear in the playoffs for Winnipeg but will replace Logan Stanley on Winnipeg's third defensive pair on Friday for Game 3 in Colorado. The 32-year-old had two goals, 14 points, 75 SOG, 16 PIMs and a +10 plus/minus in 63 games played during the regular season.
Line Change
Brodie is expected to make his series debut for Game 4 on Saturday vs. Boston.
Aube-Kubel will be a healthy scratch for Game 3 vs. New York on Friday.
Aube-Kubel will head to the press box for Game 3 on Friday vs. New York as Ivan Miroshnichenko draws into the lineup for the first time in the playoffs. Aube-Kubel won a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2021-22 but has struggled so far in the postseason as he has failed to record a point and SOG while averaging 9:02 TOI.
Miroshnichenko will make his playoff debut on Friday for Game 3 vs. New York.
Miroshnichenko will take the spot of Nicolas Aube-Kubel as he makes his playoff debut on Friday for Game 3 vs. New York. The 20-year-old rookie appeared in one-fourth of Washington's regular season games and had two goals, six points, 30 SOG, and six PIMs in 21 games played.
Line Change
Perbix will draw back into the Lightning lineup on Thursday.
Perbix will draw in along with Tanner Jeannot after both players sat out Game 2 on Tuesday. Maxwell Crozier and Calvin de Haan will draw out of the lineup in their place.
Line Change
Jeannot will draw back into the Lightning lineup on Thursday.
Jeannot will draw in along with Nick Perbix after both players sat out Game 2 on Tuesday. Maxwell Crozier and Calvin de Haan will draw out of the lineup in their place.
Crozier will be a healthy scratch for Game 3 on Thursday against the Panthers.
Crozier will take a seat on Thursday as Nick Perbix and Tanner Jeannot draw back into the Lightning lineup. Calvin de Haan will also draw out and join Crozier as a healthy scratch.
Line Change
de Haan will be a healthy scratch for Game 3 on Thursday against the Panthers.
de Haan will take a seat on Thursday as Nick Perbix and Tanner Jeannot draw back into the Lightning lineup. Maxwell Crozier will also draw out and join de Haan as a healthy scratch.
DeAngelo will draw back into Carolina's lineup for Game 3 on Thursday vs. New York.
With Brett Pesce (lower body) expected to miss at least a few games, Tony DeAngelo will draw into Carolina's third defensive pairing for Game 3 for New York on Thursday. The 28-year-old only appeared in 31 games this season and picked up 11 points (3G/8A), 24 PIMs, and 44 SOG.
Line Change
Okposo is expected to make his Panthers' Playoff debut on Thursday for Game 3.
With Sam Bennett (upper-body) expected to miss at least a week, Okposo will draw into the lineup in game three against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Okposo skated on the fourth line with Nick Cousins and Steven Lorentz at Thursday's morning skate.
Line Change
Martinez is expected to draw back into Vegas' lineup for Game 2 on Wednesday vs. Dallas.
Martinez will make his series debut on Wednesday in game two against the Dallas Stars. Martinez battled some injuries this season and was limited to only 53 games, recording 17 points (4G / 13A) and 163 blocks.
Line Change
Lauko will be a healthy scratch for Game 3 on Wednesday vs. Toronto.
James van Riemsdyk will make his series debut for the Bruins in game three, making Lauko the odd man out of the lineup. Lauko played the first two games of the series, averaging 10:43 time-on-ice while registering five shots and 11 hits.
van Riemsdyk is expected to draw back into Boston's lineup for Game 3 on Wednesday.
Jakub Lauko will be a healthy scratch in game three, allowing van Riemsdyk to make his series debut. The 34-year-old van Riemsdyk had an up-and-down 2023-24 campaign, scoring 38 points (11G / 27A) in 71 contests.
Grzelcyk is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 3 on Wednesday vs. Toronto.
Parker Wotherspoon will make his series debut in game three, making Grzelcyk the odd man out of the lineup. Grzelcyk averaged 17:47 time-on-ice through the first two games of the series, recording two shots and five hits.
Wotherspoon is expected to draw back into Boston's lineup for Game 3 vs. Toronto.
Matt Grzelcyk will be a healthy scratch in game three, allowing Wotherspoon to make his series debut in game three. Wotherspoon played 41 games with the Bruins this season, tallying eight points (0G / 8A) while averaging 17:43 time-on-ice.
Line Change
Lohrei is expected to draw back into Boston's lineup for Game 3 vs. Toronto.
Lohrei did not play either of the first two games of the playoffs for the Bruins but will enter the lineup after being recalled from the Providence Bruins (AHL). The 23-year-old Lohrei played 41 games for Boston this year, his first NHL season, tallying 13 points (4G / 9A).
Robertson is expected to be the odd man out of Toronto's lineup for Game 3 vs. Boston.
With Willian Nylander (undisclosed) looking like a possibility to return to the lineup in game three, Robertson will serve as a healthy scratch. Through two playoff games, Robertson is averaging only 8:00 time-on-ice but has fired six shots on goal.
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.