NHL 15: The Best Team Strategy Settings

NHL 15 doesn't make much of an effort to explain what the many strategy settings inside the game actually do, so if you're a newcomer to the series, or even a veteran who's always left everything on default, here is a short guide for selecting the best team strategies on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One:

Team Settings

Forecheck: Either 1-2-2 Aggressive or Weak Side Lock

Neutral Zone Bias: 6 clicks

Offensive Zone Bias: Full Forecheck

Offensive Pressure: Full Attack



Some of the easiest goals in hockey come off turnovers inside a team's own territory, so it's best to keep all three of your forwards buzzing around the puck carrier and cutting off his immediate passing options whenever the puck is in the offensive zone.



The 1-2-2 formation is excellent at clogging up the middle parts of the ice, but it frequently leaves the side boards free, so consider switching to the Weak Side Lock for better wall coverage against teams who are trying to breakout along the boards.



Neutral Zone: 1-4 Trap



If the opposition manages to breach the neutral zone, your best move is to fall back and stack the blue line to force a dump in or create a turnover. Dumps are far too easy for the defense to retrieve in NHL 15, so they'll rarely lead to scoring chances, regardless of whether it's the CPU or a human player attempting them. Most human opponents, however, will stubbornly try to skate the puck into the offensive zone all game long, which makes the 1-4 Trap the perfect counter for try-hard danglers.



Quick Breakout: Leave Zone Early

Control Breakout: Three High



The best way to counter a heavy forecheck is by sending a stretch pass shooting up the boards or sauced through center ice, so telling your three forwards to spread out and go deep will set up hail mary passing options in all three portions of the ice (left side, center, right side). NHL 15's automated pass assist makes it much easier to complete these long bombs than they are in real life, empowering every player with Ryan Suter-esque abilities while quarterbacking a breakout.



Face-off Formation: Either Aggressive or Normal



Aggressive face-offs from the offensive zone offer one of the best scoring opportunities in NHL 15 if you can win the puck cleanly to your winger and fire a quick wrist shot from the center of the slot. For added effectiveness, make sure to use any nearby bodies to screen the goalie and obscure his vision of the shot.



If your wingers have weak wristers, then the Normal face-off formation will be the better call in the offensive zone. Simply win the puck back to your middle-most defenseman and wind up for a supercharged slap shot. Again, try to steer the shot through defenders' legs or around their torsos to help confuse the goaltender.



For all neutral zone and defensive zone face-offs, stick with the Normal formation so that you'll always have teammates on either side of you to win the puck to after performing a stick lift or a tie up. If you need help winning face-offs, consult the full face-off guide.

Offensive Settings

Offensive Strategy: Crash the Net



While the Behind the Net and Overload strategies are mainly focused on generating scoring chances from forward-to-forward one-timers, Crash the Net will create ample opportunities for screens, deflections, and rebounds. Crash the Net also works well when attempting cross-crease one-timers, making the other two offensive strategies look extremely one-dimensional by comparison.



Powerplay: Either Umbrella or Shooting



With one passer behind the net, a pest in front of the goalie, and a shooter stationed at each face-off dot, Umbrella loads lots of firepower into the lower half of the offensive zone, making it the most lethal powerplay setup. But with only one defenseman patrolling the point, any turnover is likely to create breakaways or two-on-one rushes for the other team. Beginning players whose puck possession skills aren't strong might want to stick with the much safer but less potent Shooting strategy, and only use Umbrella if they are down late in a game, in dire need of goal.



Carry: 0 clicks



The "chip and chase" style may be commonplace in today's NHL, but it remains an extremely ineffective tactic in NHL 15, due to how easy it is for defensemen to settle bouncing pucks, and how quickly the defense can turn around and accelerate to top speed. Setting the carry meter to zero will keep your teammates onside while you skate the puck into the offensive zone with minimal resistance from the timid AI defense.



If the other team is using the 1-4 Trap to protect their blue line, try sliding the puck around the end boards with a fully charged right trigger pass. This method usually causes the goalie to come out and snag the puck as it crosses through his trapezoid. Naturally, it's much easier to win the puck back from a stationary goaltender instead of a mobile defenseman. Just make sure to approach the goalie with caution, since bumping into his body will often trigger an interference penalty.



Cycle: 5 clicks



This slider controls how much your forwards will move around while your team is possessing the puck in the offensive zone. You don't want them standing flatfooted since that's too easy to defend. And you don't want them skating all over the ice, as players in motion are going to have a harder time hitting their target. Leave the meter in the middle for a balanced mix of movement and winding up for shots.



Efficiency: either 5 clicks or 10 clicks



Teams with significantly more talent in their star forward units -- such as Dallas or Pittsburgh -- will want to leave those top lines at the default efficiency level so that guys like Crosby, Malkin, Seguin, and Benn can conserve energy and maximize their ice time.



Clubs like Nashville or Florida, whose talent is spread relatively evenly across all four lines, will want to crank up the efficiency slider to 10 and just play whichever line is the least tired.



Don't forget that each team also gets one timeout per game, which can be called during any stoppage in play to completely refill everyone's energy. Winning a fist fight will also provide a full stamina boost if your team is desperately winded and has already used its timeout.



Don't Block: 10 clicks



Unlike in real life, shot blocks from 100 MPH slap shots and rocket-trail one-timers will rarely cause injuries in NHL 15, so go ahead and maximize this slider to prevent as many pucks as possible from reaching your netminder.

Defensive Settings

Hold Line: either 2 clicks or 8 clicks

If you're using a team like Nashville that's loaded with defensemen who're capable of potting one from the point, you'll want to maximize their scoring chances by pushing your defenders up a few steps beyond the blue paint. Eight clicks is the sweet spot for scooting them up without getting caught too deep in the offensive zone.



Conversely, a club like Minnesota that has no threatening shooters on its back line will want to play its defenders as far away from the net as possible and simply use their point men as pass distributors. Two clicks will position your defenders just inside the blue line, without having to worry about their sticks trailing backward and triggering an accidental offside.



Cycle: 10 clicks



Whether you want your defenders readying for a one-timer or staying back as a passing outlet, you should choose 10 clicks here to keep your defensemen as stationary as possible. It's best to let your forwards get involved in cycling, while having your point players sitting at a reliable stand-still.



Defensive Pressure: Protect Net

Defensive Strategy: Collapsing



NHL 15's defenders no longer have access to the old "tractor beam" tie-up animations on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, which has made it easier than ever for forwards to shake free and slam home rebounds and one-timers from inside the crease/slot. Going with Protect Net and Collapsing will clog up the most dangerous part of the defensive zone with extra bodies, but these settings alone are not a cure-all solution. Controlling a forward manually and covering for your AI defenders' mistakes will still be necessary to completely secure the slot/crease.



Penalty Kill: Passive Box



As described above, you'll want to control a forward and sag down into the slot/crease area so that you can keep the puck out around the perimeter during a penalty kill. Use your poke check (right bumper) to knock the puck away if it comes near you, and squeeze both bumpers (LB + RB) to attempt a standing block if you see your opponent pulling back for a slap shot. Just make sure to keep out of your goalie's line of vision so that he's not screened in case your shot block whiffs.