NHL 23: A D-man perspective

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@Deeboo_91 wrote:

I've been playing NHL as a D-man as far back as I can remember. I play mostly 5v5 and 6v6. I've been lucky to be on Top 10 teams for the last four years with experience in LG, XHL, and 6HL. I've also been a Top 30 D-man as far as those modes go. I'm not throwing out those stats for brownie points, but I just want to reiterate that I've basically adapted to defense as the years go by. It will also be nice to have other D-men, no matter which mode you play, chime in on how you feel the defense is in this game. FYI, this is all based off Xbox Series X new-gen.

So how do I feel? Let down mostly. For the last four years this series has seen a decline in defensive tools. It started, IMO, with EA wanting to address the poke spam. Their solution? An abundance of tripping penalties. Then year after year, defensive tools started to become penalty magnets. Poke, hitting, and just using DSS to prevent 93 speed wingers from blowing by you culminated in a penalty. Actively blocking shots can create tripping penalties.

Unfortunately, I think this year is the year that I don't have the drive to want to adapt anymore. At least in previous years it was a gradual change, but this year it feels the defense has been absolutely gutted. Defense starts with positioning yes, but stick play and physical play make up the active portions of it. Everything feels off as far as those are concerned. Hitting is hit or miss. Sometimes if I'm in good position to hit, my DD build simply glances off. Most of the time, I'm just looking to separate the puck from the carrier, but the magnet is back in full force. LT is back as well which makes being physical more difficult. When poke checks happen the puck speed dies on the ice for the same poked player to pick it right back up. As far as the DSS goes, it should just be removed if i's going to be nerfed as is. Poke speed and DSS absolutely kills your speed and combined with last year's move to slow down pivots, I feel like I'm playing neutral zone and defensive zone hockey most of the game just trying to prevent breakout slap shots that seem to end up right on the sticks of players that will receive the puck even if it's impossible for their avatar to see the puck for a reception at lightening speed. I won't even mention the stick lift. That mechanic is so broken it isn't even worth talking about.

Offense sells the game, yes. I get that, but the tilt in balance between offense and defense/goalie keeps getting worse. It makes me think back to the time pre-tuner 2019 released. Bumps separated the puck from the player, passes couldn't be received at full speed unless you had the trait for it, and it forced the offensive to play a team game rather than one man, LT-induced abuse of the mechanics. On the defensive side, poking too much gave you penalties. Gap control was based off skill rather than speed and positioning was rewarded. Hits weren't guaranteed, but at least the physics of the hit dictated puck separation. Then the Day 1 tuner game back and undid all of it.

Maybe a tuner fixes what's going on right now. but the offense is so OP it really isn't worth my frustration trying to defend mechanics that continuously punishes you. Maybe I'm wrong! I can accept that as well. If there are D-men having fun right now, so be it, but I don't think you can dispute the balance is just one-sided right now.

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Been playing this game (exclusively at D) since 14 and I honestly didn't think it could get worse than last year... until I played the tech test and I had that dread sense of foreboding. I actually am wishing I did not sign up for the two leagues I play in for the coming season... it's THAT bad.

Defensive Tools:

Poke Check: I am ok - more or less - with the poke spam nerf, tho I don't think that the speed reduction for a single poke should be as dramatic as it is currently. Sadly, all too often (still) you can execute a perfect poke check only to have the puck "come loose" and seemingly magnetize to the stick of the next closest attacker

Stick Lift: the nearest thing to an auto penalty this game has

Stick Tie Ups: seem to have been nerfed ? I 

Body Checking: Feels very random in effectiveness rn. Sometimes its great; other times I seem to randomly just glide off much smaller players. 

DSS: I have greater issue with the speed nerf when using DSS (compared to poke checking), especially now that there is the lovely speed boost for the puck carrier. Even with decent speed and agility (high 80s) and 90 stick checking, I am seeing forwards curl around me and my DSS effortlessly. It's maddening. Why do I slow down so much just because I am holding my stick out, while the attacker gets a BOOST when carrying the puck - something that should by all rights, slow them down if anything?

Net Battles:  Net battles seems to be nerfed this year. I am having a much harder time doing a net battle tie up than last year. This would be OK if the game hadn't previously taken away any ability to shove guys in front of the net without taking a penalty. Interference is still called in this game for contact that a ref in a real NHL game wouldn't bat an eyelash at

OP Offense

Gold X-factors: Big Tipper (which seems to have gotten a boost from last year) and Close quarters seem to still be "un-counterable" in that it doesn't matter what I do, the perk just activates and results in a goal, if I am trying to net battle someone, tie up their stick. Now maybe there is something I am doing wrong there but that just underlines the skill gap here... speaking of which.

Skill Gap:

- Stick lift: attain proper gap, face correctly, timing exact, press A. Fail and get a penalty

- Poke check: attain proper gap, face correctly, timing exact, press RB: once only. Fail and get a speed reduction at best, tripping penalty at worst. Success is "compensated" for by sending the puck to nearest attacker

- Net battle: attain proper positioning, press and hold Y: pray

- Stick tie up: gain inside position, try desperately to face the opponent without getting out of position or hitting him and getting an interference pen, press and hold A, hope that they dont have Close Quarters or Big Tipper 

meanwhile:

- One Tee: park somewhere and hold up on RS

- Close quarters: just shoot in close (and marvel how it activates from as far away as the face off circle)

- Big tipper: just... stand there?

In some cases I am exaggerating (but not a lot) for effect here admittedly, but this is how things feel now. It's a bit soul crushing.