Good luck pulling it off, though the timing is so precise I can’t imagine ever having the space and time to use it successfully in an actual game. For instance, you can now do “The Michigan,” a lacrosse-style skill move, where you raise the puck from behind the net and just toss it in on an unsuspecting goalie. However, as someone who plays a simpler hockey game, the new super-star-inspired dekes weren’t as valuable to me. It’s been interesting to see players use these to elevate their game on the ice and I appreciate that they add more strategy in how to get around defenders. You can also do a flip deke to create some space and fake-out opponents. I also like doing self-passes off the net and banking them to myself off the board. My favorite is the slip deke, where you can chip the puck ahead to yourself and slip past a defender when coming up the boards. Don’t expect fundamental differences, but new skill moves give you some new options on the ice. The overall gameplay from last year remains intact. It’s a step the series has to take, but it comes with its share of stumbles, never capturing the grace and poise it’s trying to emulate. This year, it’s providing more inventive options to dazzle your opponents, trying to match skill-players dominating the game today. Two years ago, EA Vancouver upgraded the skating and physics engine adding a burst of agility, responsiveness, and satisfying impact to better reflect this. Just like veteran players have had to adapt, so does EA’s NHL series. And the last few years, we’ve seen the speed, skill, and creativity surge as a more physical, grindy game takes a backseat.
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