Feedback on defensive actions

Hi there. Thanks for the feedback.

PUCK INTERCEPTIONS
  
Its either I'm right in the  line, literally stick blade in the lane and either my guy doesn't even try to intercept the puck or it goes through my stick, or I'm down on one knee blocking a shot and it goes through some weird gap and you're just left wondering if you should have done something else (what?) instead. It needs to stop NOW, not later, NOW. It just makes defense a complete toss up that's not based on skill and it just needs to  stop. If I'm in the lane with my stick, something needs to happen consistently because otherwise you might as well just cheat up the ice and hope the puck takes a bounce for a break.

It would be good to see video of this. If your stick is clipping through another player or object, the puck can't be affected. So, there would be no interception. Usually, that's the case when someone reports this is happening.

HITTING
  
I want to say first off that this is in relation to hitting in general, not just these two cases related to abilities.  
  
When I have an ability, especially zone, that is supposed to give hits that extra oomph, such as shutdown (first hit) or truculence (all hits), I'd expect that with proper timing and lining up, I should almost always be able to knock someone off the puck and preferably knock them down, but knocking them off the puck is fine. But to watch the hitter, especially with the aforementioned abilities, just glide off a guy instead of making contact, it needs to stop immediately. There's no reason that someone should not be punished for not taking a hit to make a play, they need to lose the puck if they don't pass it or make any other attempt to avoid the hit *at all*.  

This is also something I'd need to see video of. Regardless of the abilities, they still need to be lined up well.

FACEOFFS
  
It is truly baffling to either watch your guy not move on the dot at all, or watch as three of your guys rush the dot and you still don't get the puck. It's also baffling to watch yourself do the right counter and still lose every time, regardless of if you go slightly early to account for connection based lag or right on cue when the connection is good. It just doesn't make any  sense. It also doesn't make sense to have an obvious advantage in terms of FO stat, only to still lose every faceoff, again leaving yourself wondering what you could have done. And I'm talking about at least a 10 point differential here. 

Again, video is needed so I can see what exactly is happening. Faceoffs are dependent on timing and using the right counter, but obviously connection makes a difference as well. You could enable the on-ice trainer see why you're losing faceoffs. It won't say if it's connection related though.

Your query regarding hitting, is definitely an issue. They have completely destroyed the hitting capabilities in this game. AI can disrupt your player every time, while you as the controlled player, give out love taps to the opposition. Its a prime example how EA continually screws up things. They try to over improve something that didn't need improving. Hence. Shoulder checks last year. Bumper car checks this year.

Here is a link to a streamable showing some of the interceptions (or lack thereof) as I seem to be unable to upload a video here directly. Please let me know if the link doesn't work.

As for the hitting, I am only able to describe it further by saying that I see the icon for shutdown/truculence light up (flash red) but no contact is made. I will be keeping my eyes open for more of those moments and post them at a later date so as to corroborate my statements. But for now, there's the video of the puck interceptions that I have found unsatisfactory. 

Thanks for the video. I'll break it down.

For the first one at 8 seconds, you were out of reach. Most likely, being closer would have had an attempt to intercept.

The next one that is at 40 seconds, a poke check was made. That will override any attempt to intercept.

The last one around 1:15 would be due to the short pass and not being able to react in time to it.

Let me know if you have any other videos you want reviewed.

At 8 seconds, I must ask, how close do you want me to be there? I'm looking at Makar's stick and its literally right in the lane, his stick blade is extremely close to that puck and he gets that if he just extends his arm. I honestly don't know how much closer you want him to be there.

A poke check attempt was made yes, but looks extremely close again. I'm also not sure if that's a poke or the interception animation, but I can maybe chalk it up to me accidentally pressing R1 when I didn't need to.

Morrissey's interception, you can see that the puck comes and it goes under his stick, like the momentum somehow lifts his stick blade so it can go under it. I would love to know where you would want Morrissey to be there because again, I'm honestly out of ideas as to where I should be there, the stick is between the passer and the receiver, short pass or not I think that needs to be intercepted or at least slowed down.

I appreciate you breaking these down, that's the kind of feedback I was looking for.