How the heck do you defend in this game?

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Scoring is hard enough as it is but defense is impossible.

I don't know if I'm using poor defensive settings or what but I've lost 10 in a row online now yet can't fall below level 33 (I play like I should be at level 23 and constantly matched up with people who've won 70% of their games while I'm 60-72).


I constantly leave people open for one timers. I use 1-4 on defense and staggered.


It's absolutely brutal, this game has the hardest learning curve of all sports games. Any tips guys?

[jyoung]

Re: How the heck do you defend in this game?

Putting your defensive settings on "protect net" and "collapsing" is the way to go this year for sure. That will make it tougher for people to score one timers on you around the slot/crease.

Then all you need to do is control a speedy forward on the perimeter to pester the point men with some stick-checking and force a turnover. I prefer the poke check over the stick lift. The stick lift causes too many penalties, so I rarely use it.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Re: How the heck do you defend in this game?

Putting your defensive settings on "protect net" and "collapsing" is the way to go this year for sure. That will make it tougher for people to score one timers on you around the slot/crease.

Then all you need to do is control a speedy forward on the perimeter to pester the point men with some stick-checking and force a turnover. I prefer the poke check over the stick lift. The stick lift causes too many penalties, so I rarely use it.

Thanks a lot, I will try that

[BL8001]

Re: How the heck do you defend in this game?

Yeah same here, I am on pro, what I do is grab a wing or center and patrol the middle. I can either slide out to deflect a ranged shot or I can bang into whoever the cpu decides to drag into the middle of the ice.

So far what the CPU seems to do to me is get the ball near the boards, fire a laser pass to tape from an awkward predicament (facing the boards with me closing in on them goal side) and the player they pass to one times it for the goal.

So after that happened 3 times from different spots along the board and playing D on the passer never worked I decided I would just eliminate the passee.

So far so good, it pulled the CPU out of that nonsense offense and into more realistic looking attacks.

This was on the NHL Hitz tuner set.

Haven't tried the new tuner yet

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Re: How the heck do you defend in this game?

Back to back games where I blew 2-0 leads.


I try sticking to one guy on defense and my AI teammates are dumb as rocks they just stare at the guy while he shoots into net.

This is the most frustrating NHL ever made. Never had these issues with 13 and prior.

To make matters worse I've lost 12 of my last 14 yet I've only gone down one level the whole time? Leveling system is messed up online I should be at a level 20 not 34

[hyacinth1]

Re: How the heck do you defend in this game?

anyway to defend online or is it just broken?

[RedVikings]

Re: How the heck do you defend in this game?

So far what the CPU seems to do to me is get the ball near the boards...

[BL8001]

Re: How the heck do you defend in this game?

Hahahaha so great. Puck I messed up. Puck it.

My bad, a million times my bad.

Been playing Madden, FIFA and NBA2k.

So ball just happened to happen. Puck it.

Puck it is and puck it will always be.