Goalie Tips - Positioning and Crease Movement

[jmoney2436]

Beginner Goalie Guide


- Play slightly more aggressive (just under top of crease). We have smaller limbs than in previous games so we need to challenge the puck a tiny bit more to make sure we have our angles covered. Plus the skaters are better at picking off passes in 16, so we can focus on the shot more than in previous games.

Note: Unfortunately goal-lining may be back and hopefully they fix this soon otherwise this tip becomes irrelevant.

- Lots of precision. Most of my movements are done with precision. I only use T-Pushes if I'm not sure precision will get me there on time. I'm hesitant so use T-pushes due to inconsistency (slightly improved since beta IMO) and the terrible goalie turns.

- It IS possible to move small distances with short movements of the left and right stick (no precision). However once again, consistency is an issue. I suggest practicing this when the puck is on the other end of the ice. Practice enough and it could be another useful tool to add to your belt.

- Right Stick - consider this your emergency save stick. Only use it when you absolutely need it otherwise you'll fly right out of the crease. Useful for odd man rushes, cross creases, and sliding across the crease for a rebound save.

Move with RS AND THEN press butterfly. If you press butterfly before you'll delay your movement and cost yourself a chance to make the save. Using the RS will put you in the butterfly for a brief moment already so there's no need to press it before hand. Just press after if you want to keep him in the butterfly.

[Revan30]

All of these tips, at least to me (someone who's played high-competitive goal all their life) were extremely obvious, but glad someone posted them for the noobs.

This goalie mode is still terrible, though. It looks cool as hell with all the new animations, but you have no real control over your goalie, and everything is far too slow and clunky. With precision movement it's impossible to not fall behind the play when trying to stay with the puck in the offensive zone, and without precision movement you have no ability to stop yourself from flying 5 or 10 feet out of the crease.

The animations look cool, but they're far too slow. EA really needs to fix this, IMO, otherwise I'll be playing virtually no amount of NHL 16 whatsoever.

Also, nobody in the NHL uses a straight-up t-push anymore (facepalm). It's all shuffles or power shuffles (a combo of a t-push and a shuffle--it's just quicker because you don't have to do that ridiculous and slow turning motion that EA decided to keep in the game).

Really sad that the new goalie mode is so clunky, slow, and frustrating. I am glad that EA is trying to address the goalie players here, but I think they either need to patch goalie animation speed or improve it for NHL 17.

[Dimco]

I disagree. Yea, movement is very slow, but in be a pro is goalie set at 63 point, and throught the career will be beter. T-push is great but need a lot, very lot of practice. Its possible make shorter t-push if you want, but its very difficulty. I play on Superstar, and after 6 games i have a records 3 wins, 2 lost, 1 win on shotout, goal against average 1,57 a save percentage 90%. Of course, that any little mistake in movement results into goal, but if you practicing a lot, you will be good. Most important its have a movement absolutely under control. My last thing, where i am bad its playing behimd the net and opponent pass in front pf net, i am slow and i am not able to make correct movement...
Lot lot practicing and will be great. Try to put you goalie in to CHL at 15, after 2 full season you will be full controll of movement

[Drakar]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dimco

I disagree. Yea, movement is very slow, but in be a pro is goalie set at 63 point, and throught the career will be beter. T-push is great but need a lot, very lot of practice. Its possible make shorter t-push if you want, but its very difficulty. I play on Superstar, and after 6 games i have a records 3 wins, 2 lost, 1 win on shotout, goal against average 1,57 a save percentage 90%. Of course, that any little mistake in movement results into goal, but if you practicing a lot, you will be good. Most important its have a movement absolutely under control. My last thing, where i am bad its playing behimd the net and opponent pass in front pf net, i am slow and i am not able to make correct movement... Lot lot practicing and will be great. Try to put you goalie in to CHL at 15, after 2 full season you will be full controll of movement

I must be getting old because my goalie is rated 69 now and I can barely manage to get 5.00 GAA and 0.767 save %. I had to tweak the slider in my favor in order to have some type of satisfaction. The AI is relentless in offense and sleeping on the wheel in defense. I can make the first stop but the rebound are killing me. Don't even start about the furious one timer tht no real goalie can stop in real life but the AI goalie can,

[Dimco]

What difficulty you have ? Its a paradox, but in be a pro for goalie is professional worst for playing, its slower, but all chances (or more than 90% of them) its finished with cross-crease pases. On Superstar its lot of shot, in one game its about 20 shots and cross-creases pass its only about 5, but defence is able to cut 2-4 of them. In professional difficulty is very low amount of shot, in superstar it is better. About 40-50 shots for game (last game 17 against me and 27 agains opponent). Try it on Superstar, i think you will be happier

[Revan30]

It has nothing to do with player ratings. Just for fun I created a perfectly rated goalie and played with him in BAGM mode, was having the same problems.

The issue with the system is the extreme lack of control you have over your goalie. While I'm so appreciative that EA has incorporated real goaltending elements into the game, and I can't wait for them to enhance and refine the system in a patch or in next year's game, the movements are too unpredictable and control in net is too much of an issue. Either you explode 20 feet out of the crease with a t-push, or you move half an inch at a time with a shuffle.

Furthermore, another issue with the mechanics is the control scheme. In real life, it's completely seamless to move from t-push to a shuffle. The fact that you have to uncomfortably hold down a button if you want to change your movement speed is logically flawed--it's awkward, it's a nuisance--it shouldn't be any of those things.

Lastly, on the subject of their t-push animation: It's way too clunky and slow. In real life, it takes a goalie about a split-second to make a t-push. The fact that we have to watch the goalie rotate their whole leg and make a powerful drive before rotating it back is great--it looks super cool and super realistic--but I think of it as being too slowly performed, because if I'm playing goal and the offense is cycling the puck around my zone, during the time of that single t-push motion, the puck carrier can skate about 10-15 feet around the zone before you as a goalie actually reach your destination. Go watch goalies in the NHL make their big lateral movements--they're quick.

In goaltending, the name of the game is positioning, and the way you attain great positioning is by always keeping up with the movement of the puck. The way you do this well is by utilizing good movement skills while in the crease, but an extremely important part of moving well in the crease is control.

In the new system, there's no balance for movement control, and therefore, the entirety of the system's mechanics are flawed. It's the first year of a brand new style of gameplay--I have no doubt that EA will address these concerns and enhance it as time goes on--but right now, for me, this game is almost completely unplayable (since I mostly only ever play goalie mode).

It's definitely very frustrating for me, but as a fan of the series in general, I'm confident that EA will fix it in the next coming years if enough people start making the general complaints that I make here.

[LuminousCarcass]

Quote: Originally Posted by Revan30

It has nothing to do with player ratings. Just for fun I created a perfectly rated goalie and played with him in BAGM mode, was having the same problems. The issue with the system is the extreme lack of control you have over your goalie. While I'm so appreciative that EA has incorporated real goaltending elements into the game, and I can't wait for them to enhance and refine the system in a patch or in next year's game, the movements are too unpredictable and control in net is too much of an issue. Either you explode 20 feet out of the crease with a t-push, or you move half an inch at a time with a shuffle. Furthermore, another issue with the mechanics is the control scheme. In real life, it's completely seamless to move from t-push to a shuffle. The fact that you have to uncomfortably hold down a button if you want to change your movement speed is logically flawed--it's awkward, it's a nuisance--it shouldn't be any of those things. Lastly, on the subject of their t-push animation: It's way too clunky and slow. In real life, it takes a goalie about a split-second to make a t-push. The fact that we have to watch the goalie rotate their whole leg and make a powerful drive before rotating it back is great--it looks super cool and super realistic--but I think of it as being too slowly performed, because if I'm playing goal and the offense is cycling the puck around my zone, during the time of that single t-push motion, the puck carrier can skate about 10-15 feet around the zone before you as a goalie actually reach your destination. Go watch goalies in the NHL make their big lateral movements--they're quick. In goaltending, the name of the game is positioning, and the way you attain great positioning is by always keeping up with the movement of the puck. The way you do this well is by utilizing good movement skills while in the crease, but an extremely important part of moving well in the crease is control. In the new system, there's no balance for movement control, and therefore, the entirety of the system's mechanics are flawed. It's the first year of a brand new style of gameplay--I have no doubt that EA will address these concerns and enhance it as time goes on--but right now, for me, this game is almost completely unplayable (since I mostly only ever play goalie mode). It's definitely very frustrating for me, but as a fan of the series in general, I'm confident that EA will fix it in the next coming years if enough people start making the general complaints that I make here.

Can't agree more; goalie mode is really the only enjoyable mode I play and it's so frustrating to play now. I'll make a really cool, awesome save and 20 seconds later give up a knuckler fluke goal or be totally out of position because of the clunky controls. We can only hope that since they invested some time into the goalies for the new version that they continue to tune them.

[jmoney2436]

You guys bring up good points with the T-push. One reason I don't like it besides inconsistencies is the turn. They pull off a 1-T or a quick shot as you're turning, your goalie isn't going to face the puck so your praying it hits you and it still might bounce in the net.


Going back and rewatching streams of mine is hilariously frustrating at times. Just watching my goalie slide out of the crease from a slight tap.

"No, what are you doing goalie, come back.....ack....ack.."

Very simplified version:

Just let us move how we want to move.

Input Delay + Inconsistent Movements =

Fixing these =