Players Backing Out

 Yes, you will but can you define this as hockey then? Plus, isn't that more of a fault on how the game is build, and that as a game it can't be balanced properly?

What about the people that can stop these players? Would they say the game isn't balanced properly? I definitely understand you and your club are having a difficult time with that. That doesn't mean the game isn't properly balanced.  That would be a difference in skill. Regardless of what tactics a team is using. Cheese vs more authentic hockey play.

Also, its not the fact that we can't stop them and keep it close most games its the fact that it sucks the fun and enjoyment of the game doing the same thing over and over, in ways it also shows how the skill has been removed from the mode and replaced with exploits only. 

If they played more authentic hockey, according to your ideals of this, wouldn't that still be doing the same thing over and over again? Wouldn't that get boring? Don't get me wrong, I would much prefer to play teams using legit hockey strategy and mechanics. I'm in agreement with you. Just saying, the idea of doing something over and over again getting boring goes both ways.

Also, and I'm in no way in favor of exploits, there's a certain amount of skill that goes into them. This includes defending them. And to my knowledge, there are no exploits that can't be defended. So, again, this comes down to skill on both ends of the ice. The LT abuse sucks. I hate it and I hate that people use it. But, I can also stop it. Not every time of course, but the rest of my team is also there backing me up. That's how we play as a team. We're conscious of where everyone is, our team and our opponents and get in position to best support each other. This comes down to chemistry and skill. Not only individually, but as a team. Nobody is going to win on exploits alone. If they are successful with them, it's because their opponents lacked the skill to defend them. Again, I'm not encouraging exploits. I hate them as well. I'd rather learn how to beat them than just give up and wish we were playing weaker opponents. I'm a big supporter of playing those better than you resulting in raising your own skill. 

Why put yourself through a poor hockey experience if you have a good feeling it will be a bad game to play?

Totally understandable. If my team is frustrated with a game, we'll back out. There are times when a team is just annoying to play against. We don't play every night. The guys on my club have limited time so we'll occasionally back out of a game that we know is just a frustrating experience.

I have been playing NHL games for 20+ years. I'm not online so I don't see it as often but I can understand why players complain about online modes. Its not a fun experience whatsoevoer for the casual player.

Online is a completely different animal than offline. The AI players have a certain amount of predictability that is very easy to overcome with practice. Humans are less predictable. And if you get a team of skilled players with great chemistry, they're going to be a dominating force. That's just not something you get with offline play. We were all casual at some time. However, we stuck with playing online and learned how to compete. You gotta deal with the frustration and losses to get better. It'll become more fun as you and your team improve.

You are not learning or getting better at hockey you are just learning how to stop and use exploits. What or how is that a positive incentive for new/casual players to play the game? They players I'm playing with are more into NBA and FIFA games but recently wanted to try and get into playing NHL online with friends - with the experience they are getting its pushing them back to those games cause they offer more user friendly experience starting out. I think that is why I brought this concern up. 

You should focus more on how you play rather than your opponents. Of course, adapting to their play is crucial. My point is, don't worry so much that they choose to exploit the game. Worry more about how you're going to combat that. You can't control them or what they do. My club doesn't use exploits. We will take advantage of what our opponents are giving us though. If you give up a breakaway, chances are good you're getting a short side forehand - backhand shot. If you let us skate into the slot, we're going low far side. If you give up the points, we're taking D to D one Ts. These are all authentic hockey plays. Just because they may have a higher chance of scoring doesn't mean they're exploits. A good coach is going to recognize the weaknesses in their opponents and act on them. That in itself is exploiting the weaknesses of the other team.