Scoring By Design

With the release of both EA’s and 2K’s hockey titles this week, Sportsgamer breaks down the basics to help your online game. Today we look at Offensive Plays in NHL 2K8.

Positional Offense Style: Conservative Complexity: Basic The most conservative offense, the positional offense commits just two forwards to attack the net while the off-side wing and defensemen hang back. While this offense will prevent 3-on-2 breakaways in the event of a turnover, it may be difficult to get off quality shots from your forwards. Passing lanes tend to be clogged and moving behind the net is risky as the only passing option will be the remaining forward. This effectively shrinks the real-estate you have to work with. Rebounds to the off-side will almost always result in loss of possession as the wingman won’t be in position. Despite its shortcomings, this offense can be effective if the forwards can penetrate and drop the puck back for one-timers. With little demand on skating or puck handling, this offense is also relatively easy to execute.
	Overload Offense Style: Aggressive Complexity: Basic While also easy to use, the overload offense commits all three forwards near the net while your defensemen take slapshots and one-timers from near the blue line. While you do tend to get more rebounds, deflections and tip-in opportunities than in the positional offense, the offense poses considerable risk. If a defenseman is checked while setting up a slapshot or one-timer, it will almost always result in a 2-on-1 or 3-on-1 the other way. To balance this risk, it recommended that the center occasionally utilize the area behind the net to swing the puck to the two wings collapsed on either side of the net. Doing so will keep the defense honest and prevent your defensemen from getting swarmed. Active forechecking is also possible in this offense as the forwards will be in good position to harass the puck-handler.
Triangular Offense Style: Balanced Complexity: Intermediate The triangle offense focuses on maintaining possession by cycling the puck between the three forwards until one of them has an open shot. Against a basic zone, this will usually result in a 3-on-2 situation assuming the puck is in constant motion. When not facing a zone, the offense can still manufacture a 3-on-2 or 2-on-1 by utilizing the area behind the net as a shield. This offense is less dependent on slapshots and one-timers than both the positional and overload offenses but is much more dependant on skating and precision passing. Although more difficult to execute, proper use of this offense will result in more consistent scoring opportunities and is also more difficult to defend.