Marv, while I agree with you whole-heartedly (I've never enjoyed the 'rush into the zone, put a puck on the net, then rush back down the ice to play D again' style either), I think that is the game. EA didn't develop a hockey sim, they developed NHL 09, Part 5.
And this series is always going to be about arcade hockey because people are always going to go for the easy option and EA is going to program goalies around numbers and percentages, rather than the quality of angles and shot selection.
The goalies are going to give up 1/15 shots regardless of the quality of those shots. So you can either take your 7% chance to rush down and fling something at the net; or you can try to develop something in the zone and still end up with a 7% chance to score once you put a puck on the net. Except when you do that, you risk turning the puck over and never getting that opportunity.
Statistically it's foolish to play actual hockey, so really, you guys are savants--complete with the spectrum disorders.
Real coach talk.