- Controlled breakout, you cannot speed/accelerate past 2-3 people anymore. They catch up and steal the puck or block your pass/shot. You need to find space, dump and chase or if you can't then go pin the puck up against the boards and let your team catch up to you.
- On defense, press the point and especially the area above the faceoff circles. The most effective shot in the game at this moment is the slapshot from the point which produces wild deflections. These are impossible for defenders to defend alone, once the shot is taken it's a matter of random luck. The defensive job of forwards is now to stop the shot.
- Use the space behind the net. It's too easy to intercept passes or steal pucks in front of the net. Go where the space is to force the defense out of the crease. Wrap-arounds are effective.
- Make smart turnovers. Accept that turnovers happen, there are no more elite forwards who walk and spin through everybody at will. Today, forwards who try this end up getting the puck stolen and it's a breakaway the other way. The better thing to do is practice loose puck dekes that will get you real space and dumping the puck.
- Pass back to defense, in the neutral zone, and let them lead the breakout. This is advanced and will require some practice but it's key to opening space and making dump & chase work. Vision and space are required to make good passes in today's game. The players with the most of both of these due to their view and positioning are usually defenders.
- Do not try to poke check the puck from the sprawled goalie covering the puck. Automatic 2 minute minor.
- It's especially frustrating when a winger gets stood up at the blue line and instead of passing it back to me on LD, he circles around hoping to make room. It's only a good idea when it works -- when it doesn't, don't be afraid to drop it back. Think of it like a Reverse in the NFL -- often the entire ice tilts to the left when the LW has the puck. If he drops it back to the Defense, you'll often have some daylight on the right side to move it up. Just don't do like you could do in '09 and skate too far ahead. It's not like Madden this year -- I can't just throw a hail mary pass that magically goes thru the defense.
- Shoot slappers from the corner boards sometimes. Good stuff happens.
- If you need to protect the puck along the boards while moving, use X/A to go into puck protect move while you move around the boards. This actually protects the puck and throws off the rhythm of the defender. In my experience, defenders are less likely to go for a check if you're in protect mode because they know it's more likely to result in a missed hit or penalty.
- If you need to slow down a little on a rush to let your teammates catch up, consider doing so just after you cross the blue line instead of doing what used to be the norm for the CC pass which was skating for the corner.
Why stop closer to the top of the blue line?
1) The cross-crease does not work so evaluate whether the corner is helpful at all.
2) Defenders in an odd-man rush are rarely going to press you at the blue line so you should have space.
3) You retain the options to shoot and skate which you lose in the corner
4) Your teammates are rushing the middle and you stopping on the boards will draw attention away from it opening space.
5) Skating to the corner takes so much time that the opposing forwards catch up and any advantage of the rush is lost.
- If you play D and your are in the corner.. STAY THERE!
- When on the rush, but no man advantage.. the 2nd man back need to take the half boards.. and play form the play from there.
- Use the boards to pass until you get use to passing across open ice.
- When skate in on the wing with the puck and there is a defender or two between you and the forwards in the slot.. DON'T FORCE THE PASS TO HIM. Just drop it back to the man coming in behind you, and have him either shoot or pass it to that forward. The rushes aren't as reliable as they were in NHL09, you actually need to look to set up an offense.. and not just the rush and retreat.
- Learn how to forecheck. Here is how it is. The first number is the amount of "Deep" Forwards. If it is 1 the DEEPEST forward check the puck carrier and the 2 other forwards check the break out guys. If is 2, the two Deepest forwards stay deep, one check the puck carrier the other checks the next deepest man. that middle number is the two forwards that stay in the zone at the blue line and gobble up the loose puck or pick off interceptions or break up the rush. The last number, well thats the defense, they should be between the blue line and the center line normally.
- Second off.. standing at the blue line doesn't mean you always should get the pass. Also if the defense is carrying the puck with a full head of steam and youre just standing... stay standing and let him carry it in.