This is a very good guide from Operation Sports covering the on-the-fly coaching options adressed to the D-pad in NHL 10:
NHL 10: Improving your On-The-Fly Coaching
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Showing posts with label Strategies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Strategies. Show all posts
This is by far the hardest strategy to play against, if you ask me. New Jersey Devils used this strategy with great result when winning the 1995 Stanley Cup. The trap, when combined with obstruction, developed into such an effective defensive system that the NHL implemented new rules during the 2004-05 players lockout. Because it is easier to trap when engaging in obstruction and restraining fouls, such as hooking and holding, the NHL ordered officials to call all obstruction penalties. The NHL also removed the two-line pass rule in an attempt to open up neutral zone play.
So what does it look like?
It's a basic 1-2-2 formation. The center sits at the top of the trap and pressures the puck. When the opponent decides which direction to attack, the two wings and defensemen collapse to that side of the ice, clogging most of the passing lanes.The most recognizable implementation of the trap sees the defense stationing four of their players in the neutral zone and one forechecker in the offensive zone, just inside the oppositions blueline. As the offensive team starts to move up the ice, the forechecker will cut off passing lanes to other offensive players by staying in the middle of the ice, forcing the puck carrier to the outside. The defensive wingers, usually on or near the red line, will then move to challenge the puck carrier, attempting to keep opponents from moving through the neutral zone. Thus forcing the puck carrier to move the puck to the boards. The two defencemen (who are positioned on or near their blue line) and weak side winger will attempt to step into the passing lanes and cause a turnover.
How to do it in NHL 10
Set the forecheck to 1-2-2. Use Puck Side Attack pressure and Staggered or Tight Point as your defensive strategy.
How do you attack it?
If you're able to cross the red line you can use the dump-and-chase strategy. Send the puck into the offensive zone from center ice, forcing the trap team to reverse its course. If you're about to get trapped by the boards, pass the puck back to a defender or, if out of options, use the boards to shoot the puck down into offensive zone.
You might feel like a bore playing dump style, but in order to overcome the trap you need to move your forwards to open ice. Since the AI tends to fuck this up, you need to create a pretty advanced play. I found a post with a strategy here. Of course you could allways try deking your way through, but you will find yourself outnumbered 2-1 (at least) and if you beat one man with a loose puck deke another will move in and pick up the loose puck most of the time.
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Decided to post another match. This one I end up loosing but I think It's interesting to see the different types of strategy me and my opponent use on defense. He (playing as PHI) is much more aggressive and go for body checks where as I try to minimize my misstakes by allways controlling a D in the slot for pokes and blocks (letting my AI do most of my body checks by using the Tight Point strategy). I think this a good strategy, when playing Tight Point, as the AI is very aggressive and often leaves their positions.
PIT plays Tight Point with Normal Pressure.
PHI (my guess) plays Tight Point and High or Puck Side Pressure.
Keys to the Power Play
• Win faceoffs
• Enter the zone with speed (look to create chances off
the rush)
• Move the puck low to high or corner to corner – open seams
• Use your PP strategy in the right way to create numerical superiority
• Avoid blocked shots
• If there's traffic in front of the net, look for screens and deflections
• Pursue rebounds with pressure (hold L2 and push RS up)
• Don’t allow yourself to be covered (release to open ice)
All of the above is pretty self explanatory except perhaps for using the right PP strategy. For instance, if you're using the umbrella PP and your opponent does nothing but protect his own net, you will have a hard time getting pucks through close to the crease, as you can see in the example below.
If you want a player behind net, and the PK box is passive, the overload works better, since you get support by the half boards.
However, If the PK plays an aggressive, large box, the umbrella works if you want to find openings in the slot, since the PK tries to put pressure on the PP team outside their slot. This results in them leaving the area around the goal crease open to exploit if their check doesn't work.
This example shows the PK teams aggression better, playing a staggered, large box. Compare the size of their box and their pressure to the PK strategy in the first example.
Now let's go back to the example where the PK team is passive, defending the slot with every man. The best PP strategy for this scenario is to take shots from the point (I use the Shooting PP in the example). Since the opposing team are not leaving the slot I try to make my opponent move a little at least, hoping he will screen his goalie. But as you can see here PK does a great job at clearing the slot (the right thing to do) and they don't get in the way of their goalie. So when I take my first shot, the goalies field of vision is clear and he makes a save. When I take my second shot, though, there's a lot more traffic infront of the net and I score.
Quick puck movement is very important. It makes it harder for the defending team to shift into the right positions, resulting in openings or, as in this case, a D screening his own goalie.
Even if you don't change your PP strategy to the PK's strategy, you can change the way you play. Here's an example on how to get a 2 - 1 facing a diamond PK with a umbrella PP (you're going to need a good passing line to get the pucks through):
Umbrella vs. Diamond
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.
Fore check: This has to do with where your players start pressuring the puck carrier.
1-2-2 High: No offensive zone fore check. You let them have their own zone. One of your guys on the offensive blue line two on the redline and two on the defensive blue line.. Trying to make it as hard as possible for them to gain your zone..
2-1-2 High: Same as last one, only slightly more offensive with two guys on the offensive blue line and one on the redline. These two should be used when you want to protect a lead or defend against a team with very good breakouts.
1-2-2 Low: One guy in the offensive zone chasing the puck, forcing them to pass up the sides where two of your guys are on the offensive blue line and two are on the blue line
1-2-2 Low: One guy in the offensive zone chasing the puck, forcing them to pass up the sides where two of your guys are on the offensive blue line and two are on the blue line
2-1-2 Low: Even more aggressive. Two of your guys chasing in the offensive zone trying to force a pass up the middle where you have one guy on the offensive blueline and two on the redline. These are offensive minded strategies where you are trying to get them to turn the puck over in their own zone.. Gives you some goals, and might make it hard for them to get out of their own zone, but you also make yourself more vulnerable to quick breakouts. These settings have fewer players waiting in the neutral zone and thus makes it easier for the other team to gain your zone.
3-2: Very offensive fore check. All your forwards in the zone trying to get the puck.. your D pinches at the offensive blue line (tries to stop the puck from leaving the zone). This is an option on the power play when you really want to put the heat on, and in desperate situations when you are trying to get a tying goal. Makes you very vulnerable to breakaways where the CPU and good players are deadly.
Defensive Pressure: This has to do with how aggressively your players pressure the opposing players.
Protect Net: Your players are very passive.. they let them handle the puck and pass it around more. Concentrate on protecting the slot.
Contain Puck: A bit more pressure, but still not trying to hit or rush opposing players. Plays position and blocks passing lanes. Not man on man.
Normal: A mix of man on man and positional play. Your players will engage opposing players when they have the chance, but quickly return to their proper position.
Puck Side Attack: Your players aggressively pressures the puck carrier. Your team shifts to the side of the ice where the puck is to try to get the puck from them. Not letting them set up too much along the sides and blue line.
High Pressure: Very aggressive. your players rush the attackers as soon as they have a chance and try to get the puck without allowing any passing. This often puts them out of position and makes you vulnerable to good passing teams and danglers.. Only good for situations when you are desperate for a goal. (Or against teams with poor skills).
Defensive Strategy: This has to do with how your defensive players position themselves. Close to the net protecting the slot, or further out making it harder for the attackers to pass it around.
Collapsing: Staying close to the net protecting the slot. Lets the other team have the outside.
Staggered: More aggressive pushes out where the puck is to put more pressure on but still leaves some distance to the attacker.
Tight Point: Your wingers position themselves right up to the other teams D along your defensive blue line. This prevents them from taking point shots and makes it harder for them to pass around along the outside, but it makes it easier for them to pass in to the slot for shots in close.
Breakout: This has to do with how aggressively your players try to break out of your own zone when you gain the puck.
Defend Lead: Your offense stays low to give the D more options for passing out of the zone.
Passive breakout. As name implies good for protecting leads, but not for scoring on rushes.
3-2: Very offensive fore check. All your forwards in the zone trying to get the puck.. your D pinches at the offensive blue line (tries to stop the puck from leaving the zone). This is an option on the power play when you really want to put the heat on, and in desperate situations when you are trying to get a tying goal. Makes you very vulnerable to breakaways where the CPU and good players are deadly.
Defensive Pressure: This has to do with how aggressively your players pressure the opposing players.
Protect Net: Your players are very passive.. they let them handle the puck and pass it around more. Concentrate on protecting the slot.
Contain Puck: A bit more pressure, but still not trying to hit or rush opposing players. Plays position and blocks passing lanes. Not man on man.
Normal: A mix of man on man and positional play. Your players will engage opposing players when they have the chance, but quickly return to their proper position.
Puck Side Attack: Your players aggressively pressures the puck carrier. Your team shifts to the side of the ice where the puck is to try to get the puck from them. Not letting them set up too much along the sides and blue line.
High Pressure: Very aggressive. your players rush the attackers as soon as they have a chance and try to get the puck without allowing any passing. This often puts them out of position and makes you vulnerable to good passing teams and danglers.. Only good for situations when you are desperate for a goal. (Or against teams with poor skills).
Defensive Strategy: This has to do with how your defensive players position themselves. Close to the net protecting the slot, or further out making it harder for the attackers to pass it around.
Collapsing: Staying close to the net protecting the slot. Lets the other team have the outside.
Staggered: More aggressive pushes out where the puck is to put more pressure on but still leaves some distance to the attacker.
Tight Point: Your wingers position themselves right up to the other teams D along your defensive blue line. This prevents them from taking point shots and makes it harder for them to pass around along the outside, but it makes it easier for them to pass in to the slot for shots in close.
Breakout: This has to do with how aggressively your players try to break out of your own zone when you gain the puck.
Defend Lead: Your offense stays low to give the D more options for passing out of the zone.
Passive breakout. As name implies good for protecting leads, but not for scoring on rushes.
Conservative: A bit more aggressive, but still focused on giving the D options for outlet passes so the opposing fore checkers won't be able to gain the puck in your zone.
Standard: Not too passive, not too aggressive.
Aggressive: Your forwards rush on offense as very quickly looking for long outlet passes that may result in breakaways or rush chances. This leaves your D fewer outlet options and they may turn the puck over to fore checkers.
Full Attack: Desperation mode. Your players rush as fast as they can without any considerations for giving the D help getting out of the zone. This makes you vulnerable to turnovers against an aggressive fore check but might give you some goals in clutch situations.
Source: Leaf_get_tavares
Standard: Not too passive, not too aggressive.
Aggressive: Your forwards rush on offense as very quickly looking for long outlet passes that may result in breakaways or rush chances. This leaves your D fewer outlet options and they may turn the puck over to fore checkers.
Full Attack: Desperation mode. Your players rush as fast as they can without any considerations for giving the D help getting out of the zone. This makes you vulnerable to turnovers against an aggressive fore check but might give you some goals in clutch situations.
Source: Leaf_get_tavares
A very important aspect of the game is the strategies. You can change them from the pause-menu or with the directional buttons. I usually change them before the first faceoff, when the players are on the ice. I do this because otherwise the changes won't stick to the whole team.
If I'm playing a weak opponent I often choose an aggressive strategy like Puck side/High pressure - Staggered/Tight point + an aggressive forecheck and attack. This might of course lead to breakaways so if I play a good opponent I often change to less aggressive forecheck and attack.
You may want to consider starting out with a not too aggressive tactic. This way you can feel your opponent out. Perhaps he allways goes for onetimers from behind the net - thus you may want to change to Collapsing - if you do however, your opponent will have an easier time moving the puck into your zone.
I think you really need to try out what works for you. Also change things up depending on if you're behind or ahead. If you're behind 10 minutes in to the third period at least I would go for High pressure - Tight point - 3-2 forecheck and All out attack.
I found some nice videos where David Littman, the producer of NHL 09, talks about some strategies. Check 'em out at TeamXbox.
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