Right, I play camera always up as well, but my problem is the following...
If I'm skating left to right, and I enter the attacking zone cutting from left wing (top of screen) on an angle towards the net, my brain just can't seem to understand that deking left to right with the stick is the reverse on screen. Because the CHARACTER's left is on MY right in that situation. This is easier when the character is on the bottom or center. But on the top, or left wing side, it becomes REALLY difficult to handle.
It's the stick controls that make this difficult. Because for years I've wondered, how is this different than in FIFA? Well in FIFA you're only ever moving your feet. In NBA games, same problem as in NHL and the stick. You can run wherever you want, but when controls say dribble from right to left hand and you're on the top of the screen you move your ball control hand right to left but what you SEE is a motion from left to right on the 2-dimensional screen in front of you.