New hockey fan

[TripleCrown9]

I've watched hockey every now and then, but I've started to love it after watching videos of last year's game and highlight videos from past seasons. But I have a few questions.

1. Who should be my favorite team? I want to cheer for a team that's good every now and then, but I don't want a team that is constantly picked to win the Stanley Cup. In other words, I'm not accepting the Penguins or Red Wings.

2. How do you guys do all the cool stuff in the game? I saw a video of a guy shooting from his knees, all the videos of the awesome dekes, etc.

3. What strategy is used in hockey? Specifically, how are line changes and plays utilized. I honestly had no idea hockey had plays until recently, and never really understood line changes.

Thanks for any info. I'm really excited about hockey this season with the possibility of being able to legitimately follow it instead of just watching it.

[SinisterAlex]

Quote: Originally Posted by SwampStomper90

I've watched hockey every now and then, but I've started to love it after watching videos of last year's game and highlight videos from past seasons. But I have a few questions. 1. Who should be my favorite team? I want to cheer for a team that's good every now and then, but I don't want a team that is constantly picked to win the Stanley Cup. In other words, I'm not accepting the Penguins or Red Wings. Vancouver Canucks That's a biased answer right there. I love the Canucks. Anyway as for a team, I'd watch out for Los Angeles Kings or the Edmonton Oilers in the coming years, they both have good young teams that will do extremely well in the years to come. Maybe choose the team that's closest to you and watch them for a few weeks, if you hate them, find some other team 2. How do you guys do all the cool stuff in the game? I saw a video of a guy shooting from his knees, all the videos of the awesome dekes, etc. Shooting from your knees is a random animation when you get tripped up on a breakaway, no button combination starts it. The new dekes can be done rather easily. If you have the NHL 11 demo, I recommend going into the interactive tutorial and selecting "deking" there you can practice all the deking you want along with other new and cool stuff in the game. 3. What strategy is used in hockey? Specifically, how are line changes and plays utilized. I honestly had no idea hockey had plays until recently, and never really understood line changes. Strategy in real hockey depends on the team and the coaches. Some teams and coaches are all out offense like the Washington Capitals but other teams are defense first like the New Jersey Devils. As for line changes, they are usually done in 45 second to a 1:00 shifts, players will change once the puck enters the opponents zone either by "dumping" it in and skating it into the opponents zone where a player waits for his fresh linemates to support him. Dumping is the most effective because this makes sure that if the puck is taken by the opposing team, the team that dumped it have a chance to get set to defend when the puck enters their zone so that they aren't caught on odd man rushes (3 on 1, 2 on 1, breakaway, etc). Thanks for any info. I'm really excited about hockey this season with the possibility of being able to legitimately follow it instead of just watching it.

I answered the above questions in the bolded font

[Winnipeg59]

Quote: Originally Posted by SwampStomper90

1. Who should be my favorite team? I want to cheer for a team that's good every now and then, but I don't want a team that is constantly picked to win the Stanley Cup. In other words, I'm not accepting the Penguins or Red Wings. You are close enough to the Dallas Stars? Please forgive the ignorance if there's no love lost between Lubbock and Dallas Or follow a team that contains a relatively local player? Or follow team that is stocked with players from the Lubbock team? 2. How do you guys do all the cool stuff in the game? I saw a video of a guy shooting from his knees, all the videos of the awesome dekes, etc. Best answer - post above! 3. What strategy is used in hockey? Specifically, how are line changes and plays utilized. I honestly had no idea hockey had plays until recently, and never really understood line changes. Line changes could be "checking" vs. "scoring", when you want to try and minimize the effect of their scorring line. Opposite is true if you have your scoring line out, you might experience the CPU checking line. Or you could toss out a grinder/tough line and mix it up to intimidate! Or strength on strength... I'm sure there are as many answers as theories.

Welcome to hockey!

[adayinthelife]

I'd definitely pick whatever team is closest to you (I'm guessing Dallas) just because it's the easiest for you to read about in the paper, see extensive highlights, etc, etc. Alternatively if you're into masochism, cheer for the Leafs.

I think line changes were pretty well summed up by the guys above.

As for set plays and strategies, it's pretty difficult to explain as they really vary from situation to situation. I find hockey is much more of a reactionary sport than most in that you have many set plays and strategies which are constantly being applied in reaction to the different situations that come up in a game. I realize this is true for most sports, but in hockey it just feels a little more spontaneous. I know that sounds complicated but if you really pay attention and watch a bunch of games closely, you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.

[Perfect Zero]

Well, I'd say that Colorado is closer to you than Dallas is (one of the oddities of the former Republic of Texas). Still, both teams have been good, and will continue to be good without the so-called "East Coast" or "Canadian Shield" bias.

Also, support local hockey. I know the Amarillo Gorillas folded this year, but if there's anything around Lubbock, go out and see them. Odessa has a team in the CHL called the Jackalopes, and they're pretty good. I got hooked on hockey because of the Texas Brahmas, and it is worth triple the price of admission.

On the deking, it's been said before. I don't play too many hockey games (this year will be different), but the deking is really easy once you get used to it. You just have to practice it in the tutorial.

[TripleCrown9]

Wow thanks for the the input guys! I do live in Texas which is a somewhat terrible state for hockey, because even Stars games are hard to come by on TV. I think I'll go for the Avalanche, just because I know they won back to back(?) Cups in '96 and '97, and they're relatively close.

And I got the demo and can't figure out how to do the deke-and-shoot looking move where the player dekes one direction, draws the puck back, and shoots, making the goalie look quite idiotic (along with the spin move). And thanks for telling me the shot from the knees wasn't something accomplished with certain buttons.

So plays are based on situation? They don't just pass the puck around and let the popular guy shoot? I have been doing it wrong lol. Is there a way in the retail version to set line shifts to automatic, until I get used to how it's supposed to work?

Thanks again guys. Canadians are pretty friendly after all. And as a bonus question, let's say I wanted to go for an East team as well. Now I am a big fan of history, and love tradition. Does my choice for Colorado follow that criteria, and which team from the Eastern Conference follows it? Historical team, can win a decent amount of games, but isn't dominant.

Sorry for the ridiculous amount of questions, but again I'm a newbie to what appears to be the best sport ever.

[SinisterAlex]

Quote: Originally Posted by SwampStomper90

Wow thanks for the the input guys! I do live in Texas which is a somewhat terrible state for hockey, because even Stars games are hard to come by on TV. I think I'll go for the Avalanche, just because I know they won back to back(?) Cups in '96 and '97, and they're relatively close. And I got the demo and can't figure out how to do the deke-and-shoot looking move where the player dekes one direction, draws the puck back, and shoots, making the goalie look quite idiotic (along with the spin move). And thanks for telling me the shot from the knees wasn't something accomplished with certain buttons. So plays are based on situation? They don't just pass the puck around and let the popular guy shoot? I have been doing it wrong lol. Is there a way in the retail version to set line shifts to automatic, until I get used to how it's supposed to work? Thanks again guys. Canadians are pretty friendly after all. And as a bonus question, let's say I wanted to go for an East team as well. Now I am a big fan of history, and love tradition. Does my choice for Colorado follow that criteria, and which team from the Eastern Conference follows it? Historical team, can win a decent amount of games, but isn't dominant. Sorry for the ridiculous amount of questions, but again I'm a newbie to what appears to be the best sport ever.

Colorado would be a good choice, they have some pretty nice players in Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny.

Deke-and-shoot move? Do you mean toe drag or just moving the stick from backhand to forehand and then taking a shot?

Hockey isn't about the best players shooting the puck that's for sure. Sure the best players can snipe, deke, pass, and do almost anything within their skill, but playing as a team, passing the puck around, trying to open up those shooting and passing lanes help a lot. The shifts in the demo are automatic but shooting is manual. I normally play with manual shifts, but since the demo does it automatically, it's fine.

In the East, a team that has a good history but doesn't do all that well would be Montreal. They haven't won the cup since 1993, and they have a total of 24 Stanley Cups, the next closet is Detroit with only 11 (I believe). They've had decent years, stellar years, then downright awful years. They would be a good team to check out.

Hockey is the best sport in the world. Hockey is a nice fast paced, anything can happen sport. Whereas sports like Basketball you just go down the court, score a basket, go to the end, score a basket, etc. And you do that the whole game. Baseball not all too exciting, even though I somewhat enjoy football, it can be boring.

But Hockey you can go from one end of the ice to the other 10 times without a stoppage and only have 3 scoring chances. Or you could be in one end of the ice for minutes at a time and completely put the other team on their heels. And even though the team is dominating, the other team that's on their heels could get the puck, go down the ice and score a goal.

If you have any more questions, I'm sure I or anyone else here would answer them

[Mikey88]

Well, actually the next closest after Montreal for Stanley Cup championships is Toronto with 13. And if you're looking for a historical team that wins their fair share of games, but hasn't been dominant look no further than Toronto. Haven't won a cup since the 60's, and now that the Chicago Blackhawks have won the cup, the Leafs are now on deck as having the longest drought between Stanley Cup wins among the original 6 franchises. The future looks bright with sniper Phil Kessel (American kid - check him out in NHL11 when you get a chance - hes got a sick wrist shot), former Blackhawk Kris Versteeg and defenseman Dion Phaneuf all relatively young that can take the team to the next level..

I agree with Atomic when he says hockey is the best sport - it really is. The best thing you can do for yourself to really get into the sport is to go see an NHL game live (if you haven't already). You will then see things that you don't notice so much on TV like line matching, players taking roughly 45 second shifts and how fast the game really is... Hockey hasn't translated very well onto tv until HD came in, but its main selling point has always been to see the action live.