The game of hockey is something that is hard to sum up in a brief article. That said, one of the finer aspects of hockey is its pace. In most instances, a gamer will try and force the puck in on the net; however, there is more to setting up a scoring chance than the perfect shot.

Setting up a zone is often the only way to get a quality scoring chance in any game of NHL 08 or NHL 2K8. The problem is, more often than not, most people don’t know how to set-up that scoring chance.

To truly set up in the offensive zone, a player must not be afraid to use his point people -- his defensemen. Use of your point is essential. Without cycling the puck back every once in a while, players often fall into the trap of charging into a zone, firing a shot, then backtracking as the computer or human opponent begins breaking out with the puck and rushing on your net.

When you find yourself in a situation where there’s no open passing lane to the front of the net, don’t be afraid to cycle the puck back around. This allows you a little more space to move as the opposing team won’t immediately rush in and risk the open lane.

On top of the extra amount of room gained by cycling you also inevitably get more time to find a seam or opening to make a pass for a scoring chance. So with the puck back at the point, you have the time to assess your opponent’s defensive setup as well as look for openings to work the puck to your waiting forwards.

Now before you go and implement this strategy, there’s a small fact you must remember. Movement of both puck and player are keys to making this work. Staying stationary leaves you wide open to a well placed check or poke check. Even if you are passing back and forth between defensemen, you are still controlling the puck which increases the pressure and impatience of your opponent.

Puck movement like this puts your opponent into a position where patience is a virtue that is hard to tolerate. By moving the puck back to your point and keeping it moving, you are in a prime position to force a mistake that gives you that prime opening to break in with your star forward and get a quality shot on net.