NHL 13

[MizzouRah]

Did you put Carlos on Detroit, or is there a new roster that gets him over there? I am wondering how accurate they are, knowing guys like Tarasenko won't be around until we get a season.

He's on Detroit on the 10/24 update.

TJ Hensick is my Tarasenko

[Inuyasha]

I'm really trying hard to like the game but what's holding me back is it's impossible for me to score. I am playing on PRO.

It seems like I can't get anything past the CPU goalie with the latest tuner set.

Any tips on scoring? I am terrible with the creative part skating backwardstowards the net as the tutorial says.

[pk500]

1. Dump and chase. Cycle the puck along the boards and look for teammates cutting into the slot.
2. The old "skate the wings and center the puck into the high slot" philosophy of offense, which was so effective in past EA hockey games, doesn't work.
3. Shoot into traffic. You'll get some odd bounces for rebound goals.

[TCrouch]

And learn to use your stick to aim. I've never done much but aim up when shooting because I'm always going up on-screen. This year especially, shooting LOW can create fat, fat rebounds off the goalie's boot. Depending on what offense you're in (Overload, Crash the Net, etc), you can have guys just sitting there waiting to pick up the puck and stuff in the rebound.

But yes, if you have a guy pressuring you at the blue line, use the RB and right stick to dump it in before you get there. Use the L stick to aim it into the opposite corner if you have a winger charging hard on the other side of the ice. If he's going full speed, he'll get to the puck before the defender most times. Then it's up to you to hit Y to brace for impact and work the puck around the boards.

If somebody ISN'T pressuring you, you can take your time to evaluate the situation. Skate up the wing, hold LT to square up and glide in backwards, and most times you'll see the CPU teammates set up in the zone. If they pressure you with the wingers from the blue line, pass it up behind the net around the boards. Many, many times your opposite winger will pick it up. Then get it back to a defenseman. Always try to be one step ahead with your passing lanes. If you learn to get it back to defensemen, back up to wingers, you'll eventually have a quick wrister you can take while the defense chases you around the offensive zone. The more you pass, the more desperate the defense gets, and it WILL open up. You just have to plan your passes carefully. And DO NOT be afraid to pass it off of boards with bank shots. Sometimes it's the only way to sneak passes through.

And use the trash. Sometimes you get a defenseman who gets the puck who has nobody near him. In that case, skate forward a few strides and see what kind of trash is in front of the net. With the last patch, the goalies have a much tougher time locating pucks through screens and other garbage. So use it. In our league playoff series against the CPU Sharks, I scored 4, 4, 5, and 6 goals on the default Pro settings this past weekend using nothing but that above. A lot of defensemen goals on slappers, a lot of rebound stuff-ins, and a lot of flicks in past the clog of bodies in a screen.

[sportdan30]

Or try use Auto aim instead of Manual.

[10spro]

I always use the dump and chase tactic when you have a player on your heels, quite surprising as to why people don't use it as much on OTP matches as they prefer to carry the puck themselves. Passing off the boards is a great tip, however I still find at times that your teammates are a tad slow to react depending on the player.

[TCrouch]

They can be, but I have very few problems with the backside winger charging over to pick it up. I'm usually pulling the trigger to switch manually for better control, but the winger is usually halfway there himself by the time I control him.

[MizzouRah]

Speaking of aiming.. I need to change so that it's the same for direction no matter which direction I face (I use alternate). I find myself trying to aim high when going down and it's shooting low because it's reversed. I think if I just have it always the same, up for high, down for low, I might score more when going the other direction.

I like facing up twice at home and the opposite on the road. I am much better when going up, so when on the road, I feel like it give the CPU team just that little advantage for two periods.

[pk500]

Or try use Auto aim instead of Manual.

VERY good advice.

I use Auto aim, too. No apologies, as I'm 47 with diminishing reflexes. Plus Auto aim takes a player's shooting rating into consideration, which makes the game more realistic.

[Inuyasha]

Thanks for all the tips. I used some of your advice and scored 5 goals with the Pens and 3 with the Sharks!

PK is right when he says stuff from the other versions doesn't work any longer.

I finally have NHL 10/11/12 out of my head which I think was the big problem early on. Now I'm learning this game from a fresh slate and I am seeing all the positive things in the gameplay as most of you are describing.

Maybe it's me, but I also see some differences in the way each team play. The defensive minded teams really knock you around and it's hard to score on them while less defensive teams I get more chances on.

[Jimmydeicide]

Or try use Auto aim instead of Manual.

VERY good advice.

I use Auto aim, too. No apologies, as I'm 47 with diminishing reflexes. Plus Auto aim takes a player's shooting rating into consideration, which makes the game more realistic.

Then just do coach mode yeh girl, its all ratings then.

[Gangrel]

lol.

To add my expert tips, because I'm Canadian and play beer league hockey, so basically compared to you guys I'm Sid the Kid.............


I find quick little passes that get the goalie moving seem to open up more "holes" as well. I play as the Oil, and sometimes just a 5 foot pass across from the Nuge to Hall followed by a snap shot goes in.

As others have said, rebounds are key this year too.

I've even scored a few from the D, mostly when I have room and take a few steps in from the blueline, and usually when there's traffic. Traffic is murder on the goalies post patch, which it should be.

[Diablo25]

Just started my playoff series vs the Panthers in the DSP GM Connected league. Lost a tough game one at home 4-2 but came back and squeaked out a 1-0 win in game two. Now it's on the road to FLA. hope I can get a win or two down there!

[pk500]

I just started a WHL season as Medicine Hat. I'm at about .500 after seven games. Big fun.

[Diablo25]

I just started a WHL season as Medicine Hat. I'm at about .500 after seven games. Big fun.

I played in Medicine Hat when I was in the minors . Cool town.

[pk500]

I just started a WHL season as Medicine Hat. I'm at about .500 after seven games. Big fun.

I played in Medicine Hat when I was in the minors . Cool town.

Right on. What American baseball league had a team in Medicine Hat? Pioneer League?

[tjung0831]

I just started a WHL season as Medicine Hat. I'm at about .500 after seven games. Big fun.

I'm doing a WHL season as Medicine Hat as well. Huge Hunter Shinkaruk fan....he'll be a top 10 pick next June. Matter of fact, I only play the NHL series any more because of the junior teams option.

[Diablo25]

I just started a WHL season as Medicine Hat. I'm at about .500 after seven games. Big fun.

I played in Medicine Hat when I was in the minors . Cool town.

Right on. What American baseball league had a team in Medicine Hat? Pioneer League?

Yep, Pioneer League. It was the Blue Jays back then. I think Carlos Delgado was on the team.

[TCrouch]

Just started my playoff series vs the Panthers in the DSP GM Connected league. Lost a tough game one at home 4-2 but came back and squeaked out a 1-0 win in game two. Now it's on the road to FLA. hope I can get a win or two down there!

Mate, if you could use the actual thread for this league, it would help immensely. None of us knew if you were still playing or even active at this point, and it came up a few times in the thread. Almost booted you a couple of times because I had no idea if you were still actually playing or if the CPU was playing for you. Checking in from time to time helps

[Diablo25]

Just started my playoff series vs the Panthers in the DSP GM Connected league. Lost a tough game one at home 4-2 but came back and squeaked out a 1-0 win in game two. Now it's on the road to FLA. hope I can get a win or two down there!

Mate, if you could use the actual thread for this league, it would help immensely. None of us knew if you were still playing or even active at this point, and it came up a few times in the thread. Almost booted you a couple of times because I had no idea if you were still actually playing or if the CPU was playing for you. Checking in from time to time helps

Oh damn, my fault. I wouldn't have been mad if you guys would have. I set it so my games could be played as CPU. Oh we'll, off to find the thread.

[MizzouRah]

Ok, what slider controls players getting knocked on their asses with the slightest touch?

There must be 50 times a game a player gets knocked to the ice and most of the time it's when they have the puck. Penalties happen for the slightest interference sometimes and then one of players is on his way to the goal and gets knocked on his ass and there is no call.

Pisses me off!

[Inuyasha]

The current tuner set's cpu goalie is just unbelievable for me. It almost like mind reading goalies.

I went back to some of the other tuners that people liked on here and they make the game more fun for me. I especially like 1.02/1.03. It's more up and down the ice and a little more arcadey than the current set but I like it that way. It is much more fun than frustrating.

[pk500]

The current tuner set's cpu goalie is just unbelievable for me. It almost like mind reading goalies.

I went back to some of the other tuners that people liked on here and they make the game more fun for me. I especially like 1.02/1.03. It's more up and down the ice and a little more arcadey than the current set but I like it that way. It is much more fun than frustrating.

What skill level are you playing? I think the goalies are tuned best in the current set. They had X-ray vision against screens in prior tuners. Now screens and shooting in traffic works.

[Aristo]

The current tuner set's cpu goalie is just unbelievable for me. It almost like mind reading goalies.

I went back to some of the other tuners that people liked on here and they make the game more fun for me. I especially like 1.02/1.03. It's more up and down the ice and a little more arcadey than the current set but I like it that way. It is much more fun than frustrating.

What skill level are you playing? I think the goalies are tuned best in the current set. They had X-ray vision against screens in prior tuners. Now screens and shooting in traffic works.

Agreed.

I just lost an offline HUT game 3-2 on Superstar. Both of my goals were savable, but still got through. I don't normally play on Superstar, and just tried in an effort to play one of the tournaments which defaulted to Superstar. And this was my mostly AHL team versus Tampa Bay.

Had I played on All-Star with a better team, and auto-aim instead of manual, I would have had more goals. I don't see goalies as that tough.

[Zeppo]

The current tuner set's cpu goalie is just unbelievable for me. It almost like mind reading goalies.

I went back to some of the other tuners that people liked on here and they make the game more fun for me. I especially like 1.02/1.03. It's more up and down the ice and a little more arcadey than the current set but I like it that way. It is much more fun than frustrating.

What skill level are you playing? I think the goalies are tuned best in the current set. They had X-ray vision against screens in prior tuners. Now screens and shooting in traffic works.

I've been happily surprised how effectively a simple move of the R-stick can get the goalie leaning the wrong way or create enough room for the wrister to beat the goalie. Just a little wiggle and back can be all you need at times to create a gap. If you just shoot straight from a neutral stick position you are making it too easy for the goalie.

Also I've been very happy with the success rate of slappers from the point which tend to be too accurate compared to RL but I don't mind. And as others have said, using screens is key, the game is awesome with the deflections by Fwds in front, and rebounds are huge this year, so if you can get yourself to shoot low to the far post you should get some fat rebounds.

But make sure to try a little stick wiggle before you shoot if you are wristing shots from mid range.