You finally get within one goal in an intense game and your hands are shaking in nervousness/excitement as you get ready to tie it up… but wait! There will be no tying goal because the opponent scumbag has realized you are far superior and would rather just rag the puck for the remainder of the game instead of risking a loss they most likely deserve. Even while just typing that I’m getting this deep feeling of anger boiling up. I think we can all agree that players who rag the puck are the scummiest of scumbags in the EA Sports NHL series and when I say rag the puck I don’t mean just retreating back to regroup the breakout behind their net, I mean legit playing keep away. Fortunately, there is a way you can conquer these players besides never giving up a lead and we’re about to go over that two step process now. Step One. Relax Your Offensive Zone Bias

Yes, this might seem like an odd start to the strategy but set your Offensive Bias to “Sit Back” or lower. This will encourage your AI to stop forechecking and instead just sit back in the neutral zone. Tip: Adjust your Offensive Zone Bias with left or right on the D-pad. Make sure your human controlled player sits back as well, it would be best to take control of a defenseman in this situation so all forwards are AI controlled. Now just sit back and pretend you have given up. Tip: Switch to the last player back by holding down “LT”(L2). Step Two. Go Full Forecheck!

Usually during Step 1 the opponent scumbag will also just sit in one spot and wait for you to move, but you aren’t going to move at all(yet). Instead change your Offensive Bias to Full Forecheck! That will make your AI forwards rush the puck carrier and apply pressure. This will either result in one of your AI regaining control or at least force the opponent scumbag to make a move under pressure and that will hopefully result in you regaining possession. *Depending on your opponents puck ragging skill level you may be able to just skip step 1 and go straight to step 2. In-fact, if you chase them with your human controlled player while in “Sit Back” pressure and then mid-chase push to “Full Forecheck” your rushing AI could catch them off guard. So there you go you have a few ways you can utilize this method. The important part is utilizing the Offensive Bias strategically. Read more on NHL 17 Coaching Strategies. My Example Here is an example of myself using this tactic in a HUT game. WARNING: Scenes in the following footage may induce uncontrollable rage. *Strategy happens at the 25 second mark.

Unfortunately, I didn’t end up scoring in this spcific situation and I lost 4-3 but you can see how the strategy works. If this post results in even just ONE puck ragger losing then it will all be worth it! I encourage you to let me know in the comments if it does work for you because it will make my day every time it happens. Lastly, if you have any of your own tactics you’ve found effective against puck raggers then don’t hesitate to share below 🙂 See ya on the forecheck!