Penalty Killers

[redwingsdman]

In RL I know what makes a good PK player. But I am having trouble correlating in game stats and numbers to performance on the kill. What stats or attributes should I look for and at what levels? Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Minstrel]

Well, just to show you my dedication to TBL I'll even help out a Red Wings fan...

The key stat to the PK is 'Checking' which can be confusing as EHM uses checking to mean ability to shadow another player, always knowing where he is on the ice. A lot of media/discussions will talk of guys "throwing big checks" using it interchangeably with hitting which is also a stat in EHM. For the PK and defensive line duty especially if you are using line matching a high checking skill say 13+ is important. Positioning can also be important as a player with a high positioning skill will be less prone to be out of proper position which can be a great benefit when playing defensively/killing penalties.

A good pokecheck and strength rating can help players break up plays with a pokecheck and also not get muscled off the puck when battling for control to be able to then clear the zone on a PK for example.

Also a consideration can be things that allow a skater to cover up for his own or other's mistakes such as acceleration and anticipation; acceleration alows players to get back into the play more quickly and anticipation like postioning can help keep them at a spot on the ice where the play will be and they can be a factor.

Hitting/Aggresion can be good but keep in mind aggressive players might go for a big hit and then be out of position which can be a problem on a PK.

So, a lot of things affect a 'total package' but the easiest measuring stick is to look at the Checking skill first

[Shadd666]

Nearly perfect on this one Minty!

I would just had some important mental attributes as Determination,Team Work and Work Rate.

It's always a bad moment to pass being on the penalty kill...few pucks in your stick,and a lot of pressure from the opponent's attack... So the 3 mentionned mental attributes are very helpfull! (i don't think i need to explain why... )

[redwingsdman]

I figured that the checking stat had more to do with shadowing insofar as there is a "Hitting" stat for the crushers. Being a lifelong hockey player/nut, my biggest problem with new hockey games is correlating RL with Game. I can watch players practice and tell you who should go where based on experience and intuition. But when you break it down to simply numbers it brings on a whole new learning curve. But anywho, thanks for the additional info.