Online Lobbies

When playing online I dont recommend playing the quick versus match. You will get matched up with someone who is out of your skill level or has a bad connection. Instead, go to xbox live> community>lobbies>skill level, and sort by connection quality. You can browse through and check people's records, so find someone who is a suitable match and then click on their name and send them an invite. You will get a much better quality game and it will be more fun for you. You can even play ranked matches this way.

New Xbox 360 Patch!

I have to say Im a big fan of the new patch. There are a lot more penalties called, like interference calls and checking from behind. This really changes the game, and I think its for the better. It feels much more realistic and it keeps everyone playing honest, and nobody will get away with playing dirty. If youre chasing a puck, and someone hits you before you reach it, interference will be called almost every time. There are going to be a lot of penalties called at first until people get used to the new rules. I like to compare it to offside. When I first started playing I would get offsides called all the time until I got used to it, now its just a natural part of the game. Use the patch to your advantage! Try to draw penalties by skating a little slower and closer to your opponent when chasing a puck. Its so tempting for the other player to check you, and then your onto a power play. There will be many more 5 on 3 situations now, so try to be on the team with 5 players.

Welcome NHL 09 Perfectionists!

I picked up NHL09 back in November 08 and Ive been playing it exclusively since. The amount of depth and complexity involved with the skill stick system is impressive and worth the time and effort learning to master it. I may not be the best, but I always feel the need to be better and breakdown the game mechanics until I understand it inside and out. There are certain games out there that allow the skilled, knowledgable players to seperate themselves from the pack, and the greater the skill spectrum of players, the more successful the game is to attract more hardcore gamers. NHL 09 challenges players to get better and there is enough variety in strategies to get some great matchups and some real personality in playing styles.
So how does someone breakdown a game in order to be the best? It's hard and it takes time and practice. You will need to develop the skills essential to the gameplay and then understand when to use them. I have searched the internet extensively to find information about NHL09, in order to get ahead and there is a lot of good stuff out there, but its not all there. Most are generalizations and simple strategies that you will pick up within the first 10 hrs of gameplay. Some things Ive had to pick up on my own, or someone used it against me online and Ive had to figure out how to do it. Through this blog, I will attempt to bring some specific insights to the game that you will not find anywhere else - and hopefully it will speed up your mastery of the game. If you are brand new to NHL09, I would suggest that you dont get too caught up in the specifics here. Play the game through a little, then come back and it should make much more sense that way.