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Let’s get into tonight’s lineup news and notes:
(Line percentages are 5v5 only)
Arizona Coyotes
Rick Tocchet mixed and matched last game, so consider stacking two-man combos here, if at all. Lines are the same. Arizona isn’t as bad as their record suggests, so I don’t think going back to them here is the worst idea, especially against a returning, possibly rusty Corey Crawford, who draws his first start of the season tonight. Unfortunately, ARZ1 has been priced up.
Boston Bruins
No morning skate. No major changes. Check line rushes, but changes unlikely.
BOS1: 28%, BOS2: 25%
Buffalo Sabres
No major changes.
BUF1: 28%, BUF2: 21%
Chicago Blackhawks
No major changes. Top two lines are getting a huge chuck of the 5v5 action.
CHI1: 29%, CHI2: 31%
Colorado Avalanche
No major changes
COL1: 33% COL2 25%
Columbus Blue Jackets
The lines are the same, but Torts was shuffling last game. Both Alex Wennberg and Cam Atkinson saw time on the top line. No three-man combo got more than 12% even strength ice time. If you’re stacking, consider two-man stacks or PP stacks, if you want to be on the safe side. The PP1 was deployed at a 70% rate last game.
Detroit Red Wings
Welcome to the daily crapshoot that is the Detroit Red Wings, who, in my opinion, are the hardest team to stack in the NHL.
Darren Helm was moved up to the top line during the team’s recent shellacking at the hands of the Habs. Thomas Vanek is down on the fourth line with Anthony Mantha.
The power play is just as confusing. PP2 got more ice time than PP1. Michael Rasmussen looks to be taking over for Martin Frk on the “PP1.”
Edmonton Oilers
No major changes. McLellan shuffled the middle six last game.
EDM1: 23%, no other three man combo above 12%
Los Angeles Kings
New lines for the Kings tonight:
Alex Iafallo-Anze Kopitar-Tyler Toffoli
Ilya Kovalchuk-Mike Amadio-Jeff Carter
Austin Wagner-Adrian Kempe-Trevor Lewis
New Jersey Devils
John Quenville is off the third line, Drew Stafford takes over, alongside Pavel Zacha and Marcus Johansson.
New York Islanders
No major changes.
NYI1: 19%, NYI2: 23%
Philadelphia Flyers
Nolan Patrick is out, so Jordan Weal will continue to take over the second line centre duties.
Pittsburgh Penguins
After an unexpected loss to the Canucks on Tuesday, the Penguins are moving Derick Brassard back to the third line. Bryan Rust moves up to ride shotgun on the top line.
San Jose Sharks
No major changes.
SJ1: 24% SJ2: 27%
Tampa Bay Lightning
No major changes.
The lightning are a bit of a fantasy mess right now, with Steve Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov off TB1 and Alex Killorn and J.T. Miller on the PP1.
Toronto Maple Leafs
No major changes.
TOR1: 26%, TOR2 25%, TOR3: 19%
Vancouver Canucks
No major changes. Canucks are not playing as well as their record suggests. Smash spot for the Jets.
Strange useage rates last game:
VAN1: 21% VAN2: 12% VAN3: 25% VAN4: 25%
If Green doesn’t trust his top two lines right now, with the loss of Elias Pettersson, double down on WPG tonight.
Winnipeg Jets
Dustin Byfuglien is likely to play tonight and he’s expected to take over the PP1 duties from Josh Morrissey. Buffy still has a DTD tag next to his name, so that should lower ownership.