ph33nix said:
the only way your slapshots will matter is if everyone gets out of your way. i think we crowd the net too much. i don't like playing "shoot and hope for a deflection/rebound" hockey
there are 4 ways D-men can get around this:
1) the winger on the opposite side can walk up the wall then look to throw a diagonal pass to me back to the center of the blueline (if there is a passing lane). The D will be out of position and... profit
2) the winger on either side can move up the wall a little bit and give me an accurate pass to the shortside of the ice that I can do a one-timer slapshot on. The D won't have time to get in position.
3) The winger can move down to their corner of the blueline. D-man slides over slightly past the middle to the weakside. Other D-man either goes up the wall a little or backs out of the zone. Winger sends an accurate pass across the blue line from to my stick for a quick slapper or one-timer if the pass is accurate enough... profit
4) the other D-man gets the puck at center ice on the blueline, skates across towards his wall and right before he gets there throws the pass back to the middle of the blueline for me to take and slap or one-timer slapshot. D will have adjusted to his position and there will be a shooting lane and... wait for it... profit
as far as shoot and hope for deflections, that's an ignorant way of looking at it. There's a skill to both positioning for deflections and shooting for them that most of you don't understand. I tried to show a few of yall in practice mode a few months back (i think it was denogg, dmorr and swimmer). It's a far more viable tactic than you guys with your shitty stickhandling trying to force your way to the slot everytime. It's all about mixing it up and finding easier ways to score, worst possible thing to do in this game is to become predictable, we have to diversify our offense at some point or we are bound to have the same results going forward. A step above mediocrity with a disappointing playoff exit each month...
