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RaychelSnr · 04-02-2009, 09:49 AM

If there is anything rarer than seeing a human goalie between the pipes for an EASHL game, it is seeing two defensemen on the back line who do not:

1. Whine endlessly about being stuck in a position they do not want to play.

2. Give up a ton of scoring opportunities to the other team because they have no clue how to play the position.

But, if you are one of the few Bash Brothers out there, crack open an ice-cold drink mister lonely EASHL defenseman.

You will not feel lonely anymore!

Read More - NHL 09: The Lonely Defenseman

Qb · 04-02-2009, 09:57 AM

I am eternally grateful to the guys on our squad that play D full-time. And they do it quite well, might I add. I'll hop back there every now & then if it's necessary, as we always want to play with 2 human D-men. But the guys that do it night after night are the real troopers...

N51_rob · 04-02-2009, 10:33 AM

It's funny I had never played a game as a defense men in NHL 09. Then I had the "game of my life" as a defensemen, and I enjoyed it. I was able to keep the puck in the zone a few times got off a nice slap shot from the point, and played really well at the other end of the ice. I think that I will play there more often. I found the diagram of legal hitting areas helpful. I was mindful of the check because I didn't want to take to many penalties while on defense.

statnut · 04-02-2009, 11:06 AM

"Defenders who venture below the outer edge of the face-off circles are simply playing too deep in the offensive zone and are liable to give up a scoring opportunity at the other end of the ice."

I have to disagree with this. A good offensive defenseman will recognize that there are opportunities to slip in for a quick shot below that mark, without getting caught. I play mostly defense for a good club, and no one has any problems with this.

allstar3970 · 04-02-2009, 11:25 AM

i think a big issue regarding slot coverage is that a lot of forwards dont play D/backcheck, they're just waiting by the blueline for the puck to rush up ice, so dmen have to chase more than they would normally have to.

Scheib43 · 04-02-2009, 12:57 PM

Ah, that's mighty nice of you Qb. I enjoy playing D on our team because we all move the puck and it's definitely a team effort. I am grateful for a center who wins faceoffs and puts the puck in the net and still takes care of his defensive responsibilities.

The guys who play D every night on their respective OTP teams realize that for a good OTP team you have to have a committed pair of defensemen who will sacrafice their offense at times to make sure the team isn't always playing from behind.

Also Statnut you are right there are definitely times where the D man can sneak into the offensive zone, but it takes a good team to make sure that your defensive partner then centers himself and plays back or that one of the forwards sees this and then covers the other point. I've played somewhere around 125-150 games with my defensive partner and at first I was frustrated at times with the way things were done by both him and I, but the more we played together, the more we realized tendencies like you would playing outside of NHL09 and now opponent breakaways are a thing of the past.

Qb · 04-02-2009, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheib43


	I am grateful for a center who wins faceoffs and puts the puck in the net and still takes care of his defensive responsibilities.

As Meatloaf once sang, "two outta three ain't bad..."

Methlab · 04-02-2009, 02:03 PM

GREAT ARTICLE.

Also, a very high % goal is to drive in from the point with a skilled Dman as the opposing team's defense breaks down. Many times you get a clear shot 5 feet from the net for an upper 90 score. I have done this one countless times actually. The risk is giving up the break on the other end, but you will see your teammates screen their guys for you when you have a lane if you practice this in 5 on 5 practice mode.

Doing this in EAHL play would be a nice tactic.

04-02-2009, 09:49 AM	#1
RaychelSnr Executive Editor OVR: 57 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 4,846 Blog Entries: 490	NHL 09: The Lonely Defenseman If there is anything rarer than seeing a human goalie between the pipes for an EASHL game, it is seeing two defensemen on the back line who do not: 1. Whine endlessly about being stuck in a position they do not want to play. 2. Give up a ton of scoring opportunities to the other team because they have no clue how to play the position. But, if you are one of the few Bash Brothers out there, crack open an ice-cold drink mister lonely EASHL defenseman. You will not feel lonely anymore! Read More - NHL 09: The Lonely Defenseman Platform: Xbox 360 / PS2 / PS3 / PC

04-02-2009, 09:57 AM	#2
Qb All Star OVR: 43 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 8,807	Re: NHL 09: The Lonely Defenseman I am eternally grateful to the guys on our squad that play D full-time. And they do it quite well, might I add. I'll hop back there every now & then if it's necessary, as we always want to play with 2 human D-men. But the guys that do it night after night are the real troopers...

04-02-2009, 12:57 PM	#6
Scheib43 Rookie OVR: 5 Join Date: Jul 2007	Re: NHL 09: The Lonely Defenseman Ah, that's mighty nice of you Qb. I enjoy playing D on our team because we all move the puck and it's definitely a team effort. I am grateful for a center who wins faceoffs and puts the puck in the net and still takes care of his defensive responsibilities. The guys who play D every night on their respective OTP teams realize that for a good OTP team you have to have a committed pair of defensemen who will sacrafice their offense at times to make sure the team isn't always playing from behind. Also Statnut you are right there are definitely times where the D man can sneak into the offensive zone, but it takes a good team to make sure that your defensive partner then centers himself and plays back or that one of the forwards sees this and then covers the other point. I've played somewhere around 125-150 games with my defensive partner and at first I was frustrated at times with the way things were done by both him and I, but the more we played together, the more we realized tendencies like you would playing outside of NHL09 and now opponent breakaways are a thing of the past. Last edited by Scheib43; 04-02-2009 at 01:01 PM.

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04-02-2009, 10:33 AM	#3
N51_rob Faceuary! OVR: 54 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Howard County, MD (the HoCo) Posts: 14,831 Blog Entries: 51	It's funny I had never played a game as a defense men in NHL 09. Then I had the "game of my life" as a defensemen, and I enjoyed it. I was able to keep the puck in the zone a few times got off a nice slap shot from the point, and played really well at the other end of the ice. I think that I will play there more often. I found the diagram of legal hitting areas helpful. I was mindful of the check because I didn't want to take to many penalties while on defense.

04-02-2009, 11:06 AM	#4
statnut Pro OVR: 12 Join Date: Jul 2004 Blog Entries: 2	"Defenders who venture below the outer edge of the face-off circles are simply playing too deep in the offensive zone and are liable to give up a scoring opportunity at the other end of the ice." I have to disagree with this. A good offensive defenseman will recognize that there are opportunities to slip in for a quick shot below that mark, without getting caught. I play mostly defense for a good club, and no one has any problems with this.

04-02-2009, 11:25 AM	#5
allstar3970 Rookie OVR: 6 Join Date: Mar 2008	i think a big issue regarding slot coverage is that a lot of forwards dont play D/backcheck, they're just waiting by the blueline for the puck to rush up ice, so dmen have to chase more than they would normally have to.

04-02-2009, 02:03 PM	#8
Methlab MVP OVR: 15 Join Date: Oct 2003	GREAT ARTICLE. Also, a very high % goal is to drive in from the point with a skilled Dman as the opposing team's defense breaks down. Many times you get a clear shot 5 feet from the net for an upper 90 score. I have done this one countless times actually. The risk is giving up the break on the other end, but you will see your teammates screen their guys for you when you have a lane if you practice this in 5 on 5 practice mode. Doing this in EAHL play would be a nice tactic.