EHM The Blue Line

Hoping some of you might be able to share your typical game to game strategies as this is something I've struggled with immensely over the years. I have not yet figured out a good process for maintaining a good win streak.

What I typically do is setup my lines as I see best and let a few games go by. I'll keep an eye on things like player condition and try to make sure they don't play if they are under 90%. I like to keep my first 2 lines stable, but mix things up every couple games with my 3rd and 4th lines.

The problem is, it seems whatever chemistry and momentum I build up is immediately lost when I mix up those lines. I can easily go from a 7-0 win to a 7-0 loss. Same thing for changing tactics, it feels like changing tactics based on my game to game competition is a really poor strategy since my team usually plays horribly when I do that. I think I might start to depend more on personal tactics as I'm seeing guys like Paul Martin and Rob Scuderi way to offensively minded.

Finally, I have no clue how to improve player morale (starting players) other than to just win more. It seems when a player's form drops to 5-6, they tend to get depressed. Hoping some of you might suggest some strategies I could employ to address that. This game also seems to have a strong "momentum" mechanic, or is it just my imagination? It would make sense if it does as that's how the ebb and flow of a typical season works int he NHL, but I have no idea how to optimize for that.

I don't think that anything you are reporting as your observations are really how it goes/works.

mixing line can be good if some players are struggling as a whole line or a pair of that line.

There aren't one set of tactics better than another, depends on your team and coaches style of plays.

The quality of your rosters alone will have the very big effect on your team's success.

But other tactical superb players can have success with bad teams. So there must be a way. I struggle with the same problems. I can't figure out what to change. If I have lots of giveaways I set passing to safer and less offensive. If I dont force enough turnovers I go for a higher pressure setting. That's the way I adjust strategy. However when it comes to breakouts and offensive zone settings I keep them the same unless they have really slow defense, then I switch to wingers cross.

For me personally I have the feeling I don't get enough information to tell me what to change in tactics OR I'm misinterpreting information.

I would suggest going to the tactics thread with your individual problems. Is it giveaways? Are you getting beat wide every time?

Knowing what is wrong is the first step in solving it.

Change too much at once screwed. Change too little over time screwed. Shuffle all the guys every game screwed. SHuffle none ever...screwed.


Same as real life. Exactly. CHange is slow and progressional. To learn new tactics and play them well takes time. But need to make the odd change so that other teams cannot sit and key on you.


But yeah..there is a thread on this that basically goes through this in great depth. The tactics thread.