Team not very good in playoffs

Tomas Tatar · Post by **Tomas Tatar** » Sat Feb 19, 2011 9:09 pm

Im playing as Detroit, my team is absolutely stacked in the PO's because of players coming back from LTIR. Regular season I get 60 wins and my top line had a combined 409 points.

Im losing to the worst teams in the playoffs even though I had no problems in the regular season and being Detroit, I have many experienced players. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

Admin note: Nonsense thread title edited - Calv

Richie Daggers Crime · Sun Feb 20, 2011 7:02 am

Try mixing up your tactics. When you play a team 4-5-6-7 times in a row, the opposition coach counters your tactics, particularly your defensive zone breakout and neutral zone breakout.

My team usually has the opposite problem... I have a fairly stacked team too and they tend to get lax during the season (particularly Feb/March) and then put their foot on the gas come playoff time.

tsuihkon · Post by **tsuihkon** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 5:38 pm

I have exact same problem. My Canucks finished second in the western conference, but got squashed by Kings. I held a regular season record of 3-1-0 against them and suddenly they transform in to a team that is impossible to beat (actually won one game, so series ended 4-1). I also got more penalties (average regular season 13.5 min, least penalties in the whole league. In playoffs 21 min, 3rd "best" team) than in a regular season match. I changed my tactics a bit, but that didn't do anything. It's insanely frustrating to get a good spot at playoffs, and somehow be "outplayed" by opponents coach.

I know how to do something about this kind of stuff in Football manager, but here, no clue. Three games straight nothing worked. Shots were quite even, won shots in a most of the games, but couldn't score from chances. It felt like the team just froze in front of the mighty kings. So, what should I do besides get frustrated? Get more experienced players? Get guys who have won the cup? Give up and accept that sometimes these "manager games" do this stuff? Should I just change my whole approach to the game when it's playoff time?

How come my opponents won't counter my tactics as well in regular season? Also, if you got good tactics or use same tactics a lot, that should mean that players understand them better and changing breakouts or defensive zone tactics suddenly should result in a drop in performance, but in the last game, I changed them and it got better. Then I lost the next game (tactics don't work twice?). Don't understand this at all. It doesn't make any sense to me.

I'm also trying to understand how to make ultra puck control oriented tactics. Meaning a lot of passing, giving up the puck only when absolutely necessary etc. Only exception is that I use my 3rd line against opponents first line to try to shut them down.

EDIT:
Had this weird experience during the season; My 1st and 2nd lines lost stars out of their rating. Couldn't find any reason to this, no stat changes. Both lines had four star rating (2nd line 5 stars in speed)in all areas except toughness and suddenly they lost some speed, defense and skill ratings for some weird reason O_o

All the help is appreciated!

stone169 · Post by **stone169** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 1:23 am

I've found for the playoffs you need to mix it up for just about every round. Sometimes it's adjusting your tactics and sometimes it's as simple as having a couple of players switch the lines that they are on.

Richie Daggers Crime · Mon Feb 21, 2011 5:58 am

tsuihkon wrote:How come my opponents won't counter my tactics as well in regular season?

You're not playing them 6 times in a row, doing the same things with the same players over and over again.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 4:02 pm

I'm going to go ahead and lock this thread. Please check out THIS THREAD to get help with your team.