Hows it going everyone. Today's goalie tip video will be about post play and stopping wraps. Knowing when to hold the post is very important in competitive play as top teams will take advantage of goalies who struggle with their posts.
- The first tip about post play is very simple. When you are on the post, hold down the post button and only let go when you are planning to leave the post. EA does have a toggle feature but that means you would have to constantly repress the post button every time you wanted to switch posts. Keep it simple and holding down the post button will be much easier.
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- Reverse VH Position (RVH) - To enter the RVH, aim the left stick towards your post and at the same time press butterfly and the post button. Also if you simply use the RS when the puck is behind the net you will automatically enter the RVH. This is used to stop wraparounds and cover as much of the net as possible when skaters come from behind the goal line and try to snipe shortside.
For Wraps: Post to post movement has been sped up in NHL18 so wrap arounds should be easier to save and are almost always our fault if we get wrapped. To avoid getting faked by skaters behind the net its best to switch posts when the puck lines up with the middle of your net. Remember that top skaters will mostly likely go with the backhand wrap as the animation is much faster than the forehand. I'm going to rewind this clip a couple of seconds so you can see how quickly the skater is able to enter a wrap animation the moment he touches the puck. Its a play a lot of top clubs use so it's best you recognize it now.
If you accidentally switch posts, lets say you get faked out by a skater behind the net. You can use the left or the right stick to quickly get back to your original post. I personally use the left stick but its very helpful tool that we can cancel our animations from this position.
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Some goalies in the RVH like to have precision movement off, meaning if your default setting is on you'll have to hold down the modifier button. There are 2 main reasons for this, the first is that with a full push of the left stick your goalie will slide all the way to the other side of the crease which can help for one timers at your back post BUT if you want to push yourself to the middle of the crease you will need to go back to precision movement otherwise you run the risk of sliding out of the crease. The second is that with a small flick of the left stick towards the inside of the post, he will nudge himself off the post just a little bit. If you need to get back onto the post you can quickly get back with the post button and your slightly closer to the middle of the crease which helps if there is a centering pass right in front of your net.
- Personally I do not hold down the precision button. I do use those moves but I'm more comfortable pressing the button when I need it instead of holding the button down the entire time. Its different for every goalie, lots of goalies like to hold the button down so see what works best for you.
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- Stand-up post post hug - This is done by aiming towards the post with the left stick and pressing the post button. This is best used when the puck is at a wide angle and close to the boards. (STAND UP POST HUG SAVE AND MANY MORE SAVES). By closing off shortside any shots from these angles will result in an easy save.
- It's pretty easy to move off the post to make a one timer save using just the left stick.
- If you accidentally switch posts using the stand up post hug. The only way to cancel this move half-way through is by pressing the butterfly button.
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- Vertical Horizontal (VH) - This is done by first holding the post, then holding down butterfly. This is the worst post move of them all but it is a necessary evil. While in the stand-up post hug, if the puck starts to make its way down to the edge of the trapezoid drop to the VH. If the puck quickly comes out to the front of the net, you'll be covering more of the net and have a better chance to make the save than if you were using the stand-up hug.
Now i'm going to talk about the bad things about the VH position and there are a couple of negatives.
- First if you accidentally switch posts from the VH, there is no way to cancel the animation.
- Second, movements off the post from the VH are not as precise compared to the other post hugs.. The smallest nudge of the left stick and you will slide a lot more in the crease than the other post moves. I find that lack of precision as a bit of a turn off.
If the VH is bad why can't we transition from the stand-up hug to the RVH with the right stick? Well, you can but your goalie will end up with half of his body inside the post. Obviously that's not where we want to be and we'll have to waste time fixing our goalie instead of focusing on our position.
The VH does have it's problems that EA can hopefully fix but it is needed in the specific situation I mentioned earlier. If those problems are fixed then it will be much more useful.
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Basic Positioning Guide (not set in stone as the situation dictates the best play)
- Puck slightly ahead of goal line but near the boards - Stand up Post hug to close off shortside and easy to move towards middle of crease for possible centering passes.
- Puck in corner - OPTIONAL They can't score from the corner. If there's an obvious pass in front of the net be prepared for that. If no pass happens be ready to adjust to the situation when the puck leaves the corner.
- Puck on the sides of your net, near your posts - RVH. Close off shortside, covers a lot of the net which helps for far side snipes. Stays low to prevent wraps and readies for rebounds
- Puck directly behind net - Sit in butterfly until the puck carrier commits to one side. They'll try to fake you out to get an easy wrap on the other side. Be patient!
- Puck on the edge of the trapezoid - If you were in the stand-up hug, this is the rare time to transition to VH. If possible I'd suggest RVH. If there's an open centering pass in front of your net, be ready for the pass but stay close enough to the post where you can hug it if necessary.