Offical Tactics Thread: General / Even Strength

[redmongoose]

OK, I started a new save a few days ago - I haven't played in several months. I will set my lines before games, but then when I check the box score there are changes. My goalie has been switched and I have had defensemen scratched in favor of others who I had sat out. I don't watch the games, so I set the GM preference on Coach Games Yourself to "No" - any idea what is happening?

[Tasku]

OK, I started a new save a few days ago - I haven't played in several months. I will set my lines before games, but then when I check the box score there are changes. My goalie has been switched and I have had defensemen scratched in favor of others who I had sat out. I don't watch the games, so I set the GM preference on Coach Games Yourself to "No" - any idea what is happening?

Did you also choose YES on Use Current Tactics / selection / lineup when possible?

[redmongoose]

OK, I started a new save a few days ago - I haven't played in several months. I will set my lines before games, but then when I check the box score there are changes. My goalie has been switched and I have had defensemen scratched in favor of others who I had sat out. I don't watch the games, so I set the GM preference on Coach Games Yourself to "No" - any idea what is happening?

Did you also choose YES on Use Current Tactics / selection / lineup when possible?

I have now Thanks a lot, mate.

[Luke_TML]

Hi guys.
I'm new to the game and i'm trying to learn the basics.
I asked my coach to set up the lines for me, but he left the 4th line without defenders.



How can I set defenders to the 4th line if I'm allowed just 20 dressed players?

Thx!

[Tasku]

In hockey defensive pairs and offensive lines are not attached to each other. You may have, for example, the second offensive line and the first defensive pair on the ice at the same time, and any other mixture of defensive and offensive lines -- except on special teams (powerplay and penalty kill), where usually the whole line is switched at once.

In the NHL no fourth defensive pair is used -- only three are used. The fourth is there because in some European leagues 22 players are allowed to be dressed to a match, and sometimes European teams may use four defensive pairs or a seventh defender. Also, I believe the exhibition games can be played with 22 dressed. In the NHL regular season and playoffs all you need is three defensive pairs.

[Luke_TML]

In hockey defensive pairs and offensive lines are not attached to each other. You may have, for example, the second offensive line and the first defensive pair on the ice at the same time, and any other mixture of defensive and offensive lines -- except on special teams (powerplay and penalty kill), where usually the whole line is switched at once.

In the NHL no fourth defensive pair is used -- only three are used. The fourth is there because in some European leagues 22 players are allowed to be dressed to a match, and sometimes European teams may use four defensive pairs or a seventh defender. Also, I believe the exhibition games can be played with 22 dressed. In the NHL regular season and playoffs all you need is three defensive pairs.

Thank you =D

[lynx54321]

Lads I need some help with tactics, I have little idea what I'm doing. In Early Access I could get by with just leaving it all default or making minor changes but in the full release I'm just struggling all the time so I have a few questions:

Is using unit tactics actually worthwhile?

Can you set a player to play on more than one line? I'd like to make my fourth line a rarely used checking line with two ok wingers I have and a centre from another line, will this work?

How can I be tighter defensively? Is giving my stay at home D personal instructions worthwhile? They always seem to get poor ratings as they're not points scorers but in fairness we're not tight at the back either.

[Tasku]

Is using unit tactics actually worthwhile?

I use unit tactics when I have specialized units for defending, offense, and such. If you don't use a separate defensive line, then I guess you could go with just team tactics.

Can you set a player to play on more than one line? I'd like to make my fourth line a rarely used checking line with two ok wingers I have and a centre from another line, will this work?

I've never heard of such an arrangement, and I'm afraid the AI might not have either, and you'd tire your player out. But I guess you could always try and see what happens.

How can I be tighter defensively? Is giving my stay at home D personal instructions worthwhile? They always seem to get poor ratings as they're not points scorers but in fairness we're not tight at the back either.

I think it's worthwhile if you don't mind the extra work it ensues. But simple things like giving order to play defensive, when the rest of the line / team is playing offensive, would give him instructions more suitable for him as an individual.

[lynx54321]

Hi Tasku thanks for the reply I will give some of these things a try. Have you had much success with stay at home defencemen yourself in terms of rating?

[Tasku]

Hi Tasku thanks for the reply I will give some of these things a try. Have you had much success with stay at home defencemen yourself in terms of rating?

I don't really have any in my lineup right now that I would give the individual order to play defensive -- all my defenders are capable of offense too. But I have noticed the effect of not having good two-way forwards. My PK sucks and I have no doubt lost games because of it. I did not get good results out of matching my lines, so I don't use a defensive line right now.

[batdad]

FOr the one playing guys on two lines. I have heard of and seen people do this. It is how they get the 150-200 point guys in the old game. I have never done it, and cannot say I am sure how it would work in the new game. My personal feeling is those guys who did it and managed the 200 point player were just lucky as no injury. Ice time for forwards should never be in the 30 minute range for regulation games, and it was often for those guys.

[neuralhandshake]

My team always seems to start to choke in the third/late 2nd period. For example, I just simmed a game where I was up 3-0 in the 2nd and ended up finishing 5-3 (victory) after the other team started scoring pretty quick.

Is there something I'm doing wrong? Should I switch to a more defensive strategy when I've got a lead like 2-0/3-0? Are my players just getting tired?

I'm running an ECHL team, down a couple players due to injury and Detroit being stingy with reassignments.

[caymanmew]

i have a question regarding the use of tactics


if i use tactics am i giving myself an advantage? can i make a bad team better simply be setting tactics myself.

also if i don't use tactics and let my coach do all that stuff am i at a disadvantage?

what about lines?

basically i want to do as much tactic stuff as possible without giving myself an advantage over the AI.

any help on this would be great

[bruins72]

If you set your tactics yourself and you know what you're doing, you can give yourself a very nice advantage.

[Tasku]

... meanwhile I don't think it makes the game too easy, if that's what you're asking. I sure as heck don't think it's too easy and I make all my own tactics and lines.

[saberhagen83]

I have started to wonder. Do you guys feel like shot targeting is actually functional? I tell my guys to shoot low, all shots seem to go high or high-ish. My players can't shoot low/follow instructions...or is it broken? I don't know...at the same time I feel it has worked when I have targeted certain side (glove/blocker), but low/high feels odd to me.

If a goalie has low rebound control, am I right in thinking about shooting low? I feel like that would be harder to control or am I wrong and should target one of his weak sides?

[lemming3k]

I have started to wonder. Do you guys feel like shot targeting is actually functional? I tell my guys to shoot low, all shots seem to go high or high-ish. My players can't shoot low/follow instructions...or is it broken? I don't know...at the same time I feel it has worked when I have targeted certain side (glove/blocker), but low/high feels odd to me.

If a goalie has low rebound control, am I right in thinking about shooting low? I feel like that would be harder to control or am I wrong and should target one of his weak sides?

I don't think the targeting works properly - If you check the shot chart in a game, virtually every goal is in the middle of the net anyway. It's like all goalies have a bigger 5-hole than Courtney Love. But they cover the corners exceptionally well.

[Midas]

I've a general question not on tactics but on the visibility of them. I've noticed that when looking at an opposing team's tactics, I am unable to see what systems they're actually running. Is this possible by some other means- i.e. am I missing something, or is this no longer possible as it was in '05/'07?

[Habs76]

Hey all,

So I'm generally new to EHM, but I've gotten pretty far in to my first sim (justed finished the 2018-19 season) and I sort of have a tactics problem. My team absolutely dominates the regular season, scoring plenty well allowing a low amount of goals and I've been first in the league for two straight seasons. In the playoffs, however, I'm horrid.

2016 playoffs: Beat Detroit in 7 games, lost to Tampa in 5 (I think I placed around 3rd)
2017 playoffs: Beat by New Jersey in 6 games (placed 2nd)
2018 playoffs: Swept by the Devils (placed first by a large margin)
2019 playoffs: Swept by the Hurricanes (first place by two points over the Caps)

We're just starting UFA but based on the players I own at the moment my lines will look a little like this:

Max Pacioretty - Alex Galchenyuk - Brendan Gallagher
Sven Andrighetto - Nolan Patrick - Patrik Laine
Ivan Barbashev - Kyle Turris - Brent Burns
Lance Bouma - Tomas Plekanec - David Backes
Liam O'Brien - Daniel Audette

P.K. Subban - Jacob Trouba
Torey Krug - Xavier Ouellet
Nicolas Meloche - Noah Juulsen
Nikita Zhloba

NOTES:
-The rookies on this team are: Nolan Patrick, Nicolas Meloche, Noah Juulsen, Nikita Zlohba.
-I definitely need an upgrade on defense over Ouellet. Krug/Trouba/Subban are all great Dmen however and are more than deserving of those spots.
-Andrighetto is actually really good now, but Barbashev looks like he might be a bust. Good enough for the NHL but shouldn't be above the 4th line. Need an upgrade there.
-Galchenyuk attributes are very underwhelming but last year he had 84 points (2nd in league for points and assists behind Getzlaf) so I will most likely leave him.

If anyone has any tactics to suggest for the playoffs (or different line combos) please let me know! Thanks!

[Tasku]

First thing that comes to mind, is you need to react quicker in the playoffs, because you play the same opponent multiple times, and they will react to you. So if you lose, you must determine why you lost and try to turn it around for the next game, yet at the same time not making too many changes, that would confuse your own players.

[Habs76]

Well I mean I think part of the reason is I use offensive / agressive tactics, and I'm wondering if maybe I should tone it down a bit for the POs.

[Habs76]

Also just signed Joakim Nordstrom who would be my 14th forward instead of Audette.

[Tasku]

ell I mean I think part of the reason is I use offensive / agressive tactics, and I'm wondering if maybe I should tone it down a bit for the POs.

Not sure there's any harm in using it in the playoffs, but going aggressive all season long will wear your players out by the time of the playoffs, and they might not perform at 100%.

[Koekenbakker]

Question regarding line matching. Does this include the d-guys? Or are they excluded from the 1v3, 2v2, 3v1 and 4v4?

[philou21]

So this happened to me, I dunno if it happened before (probably) but it's the first time I notice it because of the horrible rating my checking line got. With my Avs save I use my fourth line for checking and I use the 1v4, 2v3, 3v2, 4v1 line matching. Also Koekenbakker, yougot your answer here if you haven't find it elsewhere.

The problem is that my checking line got ridiculous ice time! http://i.imgur.com/oXloedv.png

All the players above the red line are my bottom guys and they all have 15 min and plus of ice time, even my defensemen got 30 min! While my first and second line have really average ice time. I'm using the "Unit tactics" option and both my first line are set at 40 sec and the third and fourth line are set at 30 sec. What the hell happened there? Could it be because I didn't touched Foward usage and Defence usage? (They are both set at normal)