With the latest patch, the ref makes way more calls for interference, cross checking and slashing. This makes positioning even more important than before. Blocking the passing lanes is a very safe strategy, since you don't have to do anything except be in the right position, which is quite easy when you're not checking. You will automatically poke the puck away if the pass comes close enough to you. This is a good strategy to use when facing an opponent who does a lot of one-timers.

To successfully block passes:

a) Have two or more players in the passing lane - if you miss, your team mates might poke the puck away.
b) Move with very little speed, be still if possible, as this raises your chances of a successful block.
c) Have the blade of your stick in the passing lane.

In this clip I'm playing the center and I position myself in the middle slightly in front of my defenders.

Here's an example of what you can accomplish, outnumbred 2-1, just by being positioned right.

Your gear is of importance when playing BAP and EASHL. If you're a defencemen you might want to choose a stick with a flex and curve that makes your shots harder and lower (good for deflections).
When it comes to the skates the radius of the blades affects your agility versus your speed.

There's a good article 'bout this at operationsports.

When playing online many choose quick versus play. That’s fine but if you want some controll I suggest creating a session instead. This way you can set a filter for the DNF% and LVL-range of your opponent. It also means you will be playing as the home team (and thus you won’t have to change the home team perspective). Once set, your filter will be saved so you won't have to do this every time you create a game (you can of course change the settings if you want). Creating a session doesn’t take much longer than launching a quick versus and it’s just more fun if the games are evenly matched.

Didn't think my team mate would get it in, but to my surprise he did. Lucky - yes - but still a nice goal.