Sports Gaming Nation Homepage

    Leagues & Ladders       League Shop        XGN Blog        Middle Aged Gamer        FlightSim Hangar        SGN Archive       
Forum Home Forum Home : SGN Forum : The Locker Room
  Active Topics Active Topics RSS Feed: Hitz Pro Offense:  The Breakout
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Forum LockedHitz Pro Offense: The Breakout

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message / View Unread Post
TedSGN View Drop Down
MVP
MVP
Avatar

Joined: 01-26-2006
Location: Friday Harbor
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3288
Post Options Post Options   Quote TedSGN Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Hitz Pro Offense: The Breakout
    Posted: 01-27-2006 at 3:00pm
You've gained control of the puck in the defensive zone.  What do you do now?

Before I answer that you need to be aware that the most dangerous place for a puck carrier to be is in the slot.  And I mean any puck carrier.  On offense you want to be in the slot with the puck.  On defense the last place you want to be with the puck is in the slot.  This is true in real hockey and Hitz Pro.  The slot is the area between the big red faceoff circles from the goaltenders crease to the blue line.  I'll address why the slot is so dangerous later.  Suffice it for now that you need to control the puck and vacate the slot immediately

You are in the defensive zone then you need to execute a breakout.  The safest breakout to execute is a boards breakout and Hitz Pro players are programmed to execute that type of breakout.  Basically, if you cannot skate the puck out of the zone you want to pass to your near side wing on the boards.  The near side is the wing closest to you.  If you are on the left side of your net, the left wing is the near side wing. Both wings will be on their boards looking for that outlet pass.  Use them.  Even if you can't see them because you are deep in the zone they are there, trust them. 

If you can see your near side wing is covered then do not pass across the slot to the far side!  This is a bad habit to get into.  Even if the slot is open this is a bad idea.  Due to the camera limitations you could be intercepted by a sneaky rushing center who would then have 1 on 1 situation in the slot with the goaltender, the highest percentage scoring chance there is.  Instead control the puck and turn around and skate behind your own net to the other side to attempt the near side outlet pass on that side.

You may be thinking that by the time you execute that lengthy skate and pass that the other wing will be covered.  Most likely not against a human and definitely not against the CPU.  The reason is that Hitz Pro plays a hybrid version of the left wing lock forecheck called third man high.  I'll give more insight into this forechecking scheme later.  What you need to know right now is that you will almost always be pressured by 2 forecheckers.  Sometimes only one, but never more than 2.  That means that your defenseman and forwards outnumber the forecheckers in the defensive zone so someone will always be open.

The last thing to be aware of in this situation (as a defenseman who has control of the puck deep in the defensive zone) is that the two forecheckers may be able to close you down early, especially if the near wing is covered.  And also keep in mind that in hockey players are actually closer than they appear.  The fact that they have a stick that is five feet or more long means they can engage you earlier than you are used to in other sports.  If you are being closed down early then make sure to use the L1 button to dump the puck around the far side of the boards.  Hold the L1 button down longer for a harder  dump that should have a good chance of making it all the way to the far side winger.

Once one of your wings has the puck it is usually a few short steps to get to the neutral zone and remember that that is the goal of the breakout, to get the puck out of the defensive zone.  If the winger happens to be challenged by a forechecker you can always pass up along the boards, a pass to nobody in fact, but at least you force the opponent out of the zone and they have to regroup.  You can also lightly tap L1 to give a soft chip that will flip the puck out of the zone.

Finally, remember that if it has been a long time since the last whistle you want to do anything you can to get the puck out of the zone, including icing the puck.  As a defenseman either tap or hold the L1 button or press the shoot button.  Pressing the shoot button will put the shot on goal and the goalie will have control of it, negating the icing call.  However, it will still give your team a breather as the opponent regroups.

So, to review....

Ideally you have played sound positional defense and the opponent turns the puck over.  You defenseman (let's say the LD) picks up the puck in front and to the left of the goaltender (in the slot).  You should....

1.  Keep your head up and vacate the slot towards the nearest boards (the left boards).  Keeping your head up in real hockey is literal.  You want to always keep your head up, not look down at the puck.  Head down at best results in a turnover and at worst gets you clobbered with a big hit.  In video hockey it means looking up ice for your outlet pass.

2.  If that near winger is open pass to him.  If he is covered turn back along your boards and start to skate behind your net.  Still watch that near winger, he may come open.  If not then skate to the other side behind your net and look for the other winger.

3.  The other wing is open so make the pass, but be careful of the forecheckers.  They start to close you down before you get to your net so you can't pass.  Hold L1 and dump the puck around the boards to the far winger. 

4.  Whichever winger gets the puck get it out of the neutral zone by carrying it or passing it up the boards into the neutral zone.

5.  There is no outlet pass and you don't have time to make any board play.  Tap or hold L1 to dump the puck out of the zone.  As a last resort shoot the puck out of the zone.



Feedback welcome.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.314 seconds.