News Post

NHL 09: The Lonely Defenseman

10:49 AM - April 2, 2009 by RaychelSnr

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

Game: NHL 09Reader Score: 9/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PC / PS2 / PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 47 - View All

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Member Comments

# 1 Qb @ 04/02/09 10:57 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...

# 2 N51_rob @ 04/02/09 11:33 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.

# 3 statnut @ 04/02/09 12:06 PM

"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.

# 4 allstar3970 @ 04/02/09 12:25 PM

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.

# 5 Scheib43 @ 04/02/09 01:57 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.

# 6 Qb @ 04/02/09 02:00 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..."

# 7 Methlab @ 04/02/09 03:03 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.

# 8 blinkfan77 @ 04/02/09 07:30 PM

Also, if you are playing OTP, and you are a D-man, and you jump in the rush, a good teammate playing forward, or strong or weak side D, will shift over to cover your back when needed. This is why playing as a real team is so much fun and pays dividends. I LOVE playing Defense.

# 9 LanteriX @ 04/02/09 08:58 PM

I play pretty much textbook D, but I only enjoy it when I play with a club. Nothing like being completely left out of the game on the offensive end when you play with random OTPers that don't understand what a pass back to the point is.

# 10 tyler289 @ 04/02/09 11:24 PM

My EASHL team uses the defensemen a lot in the offensive zone, luckily we have 5-6 guys who always play defense. I'm a forward, and I try to keep them involved, and someone always covers.

# 11 rawgamer @ 04/03/09 05:50 AM

I'm primarily a forward, but since I have over 150 games on defense I grew to understand and appreciate how the everyday dmen grind it on a daily basis. If a talented offensively dman gets the puck and has a chance to score especially after a turnover you have to let them go for it. Circling around the neutral zone so that a forward skates it in usually just leads to a lesser scoring opportunity or a stupid turnover and you don't even register a shot at all. Many division one teams with their drama queen forwards are guilty of this as very few top teams really utilize their defense at all to their full potential. The teams that do are the elite teams.

# 12 FredoXV @ 04/03/09 09:36 AM

Although I have not yet ventured into the ranks of the EASHL, I have been playing a pretty lengthy be-a-pro mode as an offensive defenseman, and I have to say that your points are spot on.

The one point I do disagree with (slightly) is the position in the offensive zone. You are largely correct, however there are some instances when you can slip inside to a high-percentage area for a wrist shot or one-timer, and still be okay to retreat to the proper position. These opportunities occur mostly on the power play, but every so often (maybe twice a game), you can find a good scoring opportunity in 5-on-5 situations.

You really have to be certain though, because ill-timed advance or offensive zone turnover can be disastrous.

# 13 Money99 @ 04/03/09 10:44 AM

Great article.

I'm someone that enjoys playing Defense in EASHL.

I have a problem with pinching too often at times, but I try my best to play good D and jump in when I can.

# 14 fugazi @ 04/03/09 11:31 AM

sorry guys...i wish i had next gen and some free-time, bc i am a very good video game hockey defender and enjoy it. i would have absolutely no problem playing D all day.

# 15 WeLLWeLL @ 04/03/09 03:58 PM

I'm new to NHL 09 but I love playing D. In the be a pro mode I play D for my team and whenever I get into a team game online I have no problems with playing D. Maybe it's because I was a D pole in lax and the pleasure I got from protecting the net, laying out any midi or attacker as they came down the middle, and taking the ball across the field with the option to pass off or shoot is the reason why I heart D. If anybody needs someone to play D on their team I am up to the challenge, but like I said, I'm still pretty new to this game. GT: White Walls 420

# 16 event status @ 04/08/09 03:59 PM

I play Goalie and I can say without a doubt, that quality D-Men can be lifesavers. They definitely deserve more appreciation then shown. It takes a great amount of skill and dedication to play that position. To be able to stay in chemistry defensively with your Goalie, makes things alot easier on us Goalies, pressure wise.

The defensive set-ups and only giving the opposition a specific shot/angle, and all the Goalie has to do, is to be set in the right place will result in instant success.

# 17 flamingarmadilo @ 04/14/09 12:43 AM

I play only D for a very good and totally legit 360 club, the Pawtucket Patriots. This is a very good guide for a new D-man. As people have mentioned before, there are times where a good d-man can savely jump down low in the offensive zone, it just takes experience to know when those times are.

One thing I'd like to add from my real-life hockey and EASHL experience, is that when your defensive partner is winding up for a slapshot, and a guy is coming out to block it, or your partner is pinching the point, you should drop back to around the center faceoff dot in case the puck comes out off the block, or the pinch fails. I can't even count the number of times I have done this and stopped breakaways.

Also for me the safe hit zone extends all the way to the faceoff dots in the defensive zone, and hitting a guy during a one-timer is definitely the best defense. I stop an average of 4 sure goals a game this way.

# 18 kerosene31 @ 04/15/09 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by statnut


	"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.

Communication is key on this obviously. I play D as well and I spend most of my time chained to the blueline firing bombs, but I will pinch when the situation dictates.

Whenever I go in, I check to make sure too many guys from the other team aren't behind me, and that someone from my team on the opposite side can get back.

As long as you play with forwards who are good at (and care about D), they will gladly cover your point while you move in as long as you tell them. Most of the guys on my team will tell me they have me covered as I pinch without me saying anything.

This also comes down to knowing your opponent. If you are playing a team with guys with a ton of speed attributes, I won't pinch. Not only will I not pinch, but I'll actually back out of the zone if a puck is close to being turned over.

By the way, I love playing D on EASHL (other than the glitches). I'm one of those players who has zero desire to play forward. There is nothing better than shutting down another team. The best is when you stop a cross crease cheese play and knock the shooter on his rear before he can get the shot off.

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NHL 09: The Lonely Defenseman