NHL 09 PS3 Patch Released - Impressions

[ddhex27]

As someone who primarily plays Single Player offline games, I immediately noticed a huge improvement in the goalies and goal scoring variety.

Goal scoring is now back to a more rewarding feel instead of being frustrating and stale. I am scoring off of rebounds/screens/high percentage scoring areas much more frequently now - and it is really rewarding.

There are a ton of improvements to penalties etc etc, but the one post patch improvement I'm most thankful for is the improvement in goalies/scoring.

[jared52]

I haven't won a game postpatch on allstar and I am taking a buttload of penalties. I'm getting better and it's forcing me to be a more focused defender (I play offline vs. CPU). I used to check guys when we were about to go into the corner to battle for the puck because I NEVER come out of those battles with the puck, but that's interference now so I end up just racing to the corner and then trying to poke the puck out before he can get set up. Setting up shots is more fluid, but I still can't score in close. I like the new patch, but I am having to make some adjustments which I think are good. Mostly, I am just impressed that EA was still working on 09.

[Ruffy]

HAIL HAIL THE GLITCH IS DEAD!!

I just had the funniest game ever to prove the dam wrap around short side glitch/money goal is gone.

I'm LA and this dude is Anaheim. He goes up 2-0 early in the first. 1-0 goal was a one-timer out front...bad positioning by me screened the tender. The 2 goal he cut to the net and my goalie kind of flopped a bit of cheapie. In between thses goal all this guy did was to try and do that wrap around short side goal...OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

It was laughable.

My wife was watching and asked why is that guy doing that? I said I don't know but its funny and I'm going to win.

I score late in the 1st on the PP to make 2-1 on a nice wrister from the circle.

Tie it up ealry in the 2nd on the PP again...tenacious forecheck he coughs the puck up out front and I make a few quick moves in cloes and goes shelf with Kopitar and its 2-2.

Early 3rd period working it around the point and instead of taking the deep shot Johnson walks in makes a deak and then tucks it bye Giguere to make it 3-2.

The rest of the game this guy keep trying that famous money goal.....but alas he gets a goal with 30 seconds left on a poor rebound. Not much I could do. 3-3.

Overtime I take 2 dumb tripping penalties all my fault too. But I manage to kill them both leaving his PP 0 for 6 on the night. The Kings go 2 for 3 on the PP. OT solves nothing we are off to the shootout.

Now I can't tell if any shootout glithces had been adressed as to my surprise this guy didnt try any of them like I expected him too. We go 7 shooters each with no goals.

His 8th shooter misses and my 8th shooter Armstrong fakes backhand and goes forehand shelf for the shootout winner!! Loving it!

Feels soo good to punish a glitcher!

[mroseland]

This patch has definitely breathed new life into this game; it's better than ever. The only strange thing I've experienced post-patch is that two times now in offline BAP I've had a teammate receive a pass then proceed to skate in circles, he won't pass or shoot even when prompted by my button presses, and the defenders don't attack him. I waited for him to sort things out but eventually I had to knock into him enough for a defender to bump into him and knock the puck loose. Awfully strange and I can't cause it to happen, it just occurs. I'm just curious if anyone else has seen something like this.

[eeyor]

Pre Patch it was the same...sometimes the cpu gets stuck in one situation, happens to me most of the time when I've set up my defense and 1 CPU guy is just constantly driving in circles UNTIL, I as the defense make some stupid move and get him "open".

[catcatch22]

Quote: Originally Posted by mroseland

This patch has definitely breathed new life into this game; it's better than ever. The only strange thing I've experienced post-patch is that two times now in offline BAP I've had a teammate receive a pass then proceed to skate in circles, he won't pass or shoot even when prompted by my button presses, and the defenders don't attack him. I waited for him to sort things out but eventually I had to knock into him enough for a defender to bump into him and knock the puck loose. Awfully strange and I can't cause it to happen, it just occurs. I'm just curious if anyone else has seen something like this.

I saw this several times. During BAP offline and regular play offline. Not sure what causes it. I am on the 360 with no patch.

[Money99]

I might have to dust off my copy of NHL09 tonight after this new patch has been released.
My biggest complaint about NHL09, one that kept me from enjoying the game, was how the CPU could do the same things with the puck regardless of who it was controlling.
I saw quick 'jukes', needle-threading passes, dekes and the ability to retain the puck no matter who was the checker and was the checkee.
Part of my frustration is that I couldn't do any of those things. If I had Joe Thornton, he could lose the puck if someone like Paul Kariya breathed on him. And yet, I was unable to get the puck away from a guy like Scotty Upshall even if i was checking him or poking at him with Chara.
At the same time, if I wanted to make a quick move with Kane he felt like mud. Meanwhile, I have to watch a guy like Sean O'Donnell do a quick juke, sidestep in the corner, deking around 4 guys before making a perfect 150 foot pass right on the tape.

Does this patch fix that? Or will it be more of the same where I'm forced to chase the CPU around my zone until, eventually, a perfect cross-crease pass is made right on the tape of a teammate for a slam-dunk goal? Where my goalie and a defender in the crease happily allow this pass to go through theirs sticks and feet for the easy one-timer?

That scenario above is exactly what had me minutes away from trading in 09 for something else.

I really hope this patch, or for NHL10 I see a LOT more player separation in regards to attributes. Because I really want to see and feel a difference between the superstars, stars and scrubs from both my team AND the CPU's.

[Splitter77]

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

I might have to dust off my copy of NHL09 tonight after this new patch has been released. My biggest complaint about NHL09, one that kept me from enjoying the game, was how the CPU could do the same things with the puck regardless of who it was controlling. I saw quick 'jukes', needle-threading passes, dekes and the ability to retain the puck no matter who was the checker and was the checkee. Part of my frustration is that I couldn't do any of those things. If I had Joe Thornton, he could lose the puck if someone like Paul Kariya breathed on him. And yet, I was unable to get the puck away from a guy like Scotty Upshall even if i was checking him or poking at him with Chara. At the same time, if I wanted to make a quick move with Kane he felt like mud. Meanwhile, I have to watch a guy like Sean O'Donnell do a quick juke, sidestep in the corner, deking around 4 guys before making a perfect 150 foot pass right on the tape. Does this patch fix that? Or will it be more of the same where I'm forced to chase the CPU around my zone until, eventually, a perfect cross-crease pass is made right on the tape of a teammate for a slam-dunk goal? Where my goalie and a defender in the crease happily allow this pass to go through theirs sticks and feet for the easy one-timer? That scenario above is exactly what had me minutes away from trading in 09 for something else. I really hope this patch, or for NHL10 I see a LOT more player separation in regards to attributes. Because I really want to see and feel a difference between the superstars, stars and scrubs from both my team AND the CPU's.

that is still the same with the patch. This is something that should be their #1 priority next season.
the best thing for me to come out of the patch is definitely the goal variety. The goalies dont stop every point blank shot in the slot anymore. Plus it got rid of the money short side goal.