If you're not playing a weaker opponent, choosing an aggressive defensive and offensive strategy can be very dangerous. I usually start out with normal pressure and staggered as my defensive strategy. When it comes to forechecking I'm very passive at the beginning of each game, often going for the 1-2-2, and when attacking I choose the standard breakout (check the strategy list for more info).

If needs be I go for a more aggressive approach, starting with a change of the breakout, then pressure and if that doesn't do it I change def strategy and the forecheck.

If I manage to equalize and especially if the game goes into OT, I go back to playing it safe. This because you're extra vulnerable to break aways in OT, since it's easier to get a long pass through playing 4 vs. 4.

In this clip I won in OT against a guy who, not only missed the pass with his D, but also got body checked, leaving just one D to try to stop my break away.

When it comes to passing, I also play it safe (unless I'm desperate). Instead of going for a direct pass, winger to winger or center to winger, i try to pass the puck around via my D's to the other side if I'm not sure of making the pass.




Also I'm no stranger to dumping the puck into the offensive zone. This is actually a great and very safe way of creating scoring chanses. If you dump the puck diagonally down to the boards, your wingers got a decent shot at gaining control of the puck. Also if they do, they've probably allready beaten a defender who's now out of position. If you don't win the puck, at least you got it deep into offensive zone and you got lots of time getting into your defensive positions.