Pokechecks must be buffed for the sake of defense

Its just simply not viable to play defense without pokechecks. People who are not even attempting to dodge a pokecheck either by gliding on the forehand or the backhand protecting the puck are not losing the puck when pokecheck. If you are not even trying, not even a little, to dodge a pokecheck, you should 100000% lose the puck on a pokecheck. If a guy is in the high slot and pokes the puck and his stick/body goes through the forechecker's stick, the forechecker should lose the puck. Constantly playing the puck on the blue line or making cross seam passes should result in a higher chance at losing the puck. It is incredibly frustrating to give up goals when normally a player wouldn't even get across the blue line because they do not understand what's going to happen 1-2 seconds from the present and therefor are not even anticipating the defensive play.... Except they still don't lose the puck.

discussion

feedback

17 Replies

Blinkimic
Rising Hotshot
3 months ago
Are you absolute positive that this video is what you viewed? You can CLEARLY see as Faber's stick clips through his own body, delaying when he can physically pokecheck.
As for MacKinnon, stick-on-stick contact essentially tip of the blade against the blade. What do you want me to do there then? I'm going to need a video because I don't know anymore.
I am asking you, honestly: Please stop insulting my intelligence. MacKinnon's poke was off target? Really?
EA_Aljo
Community Manager
3 months ago

Are you absolute positive that this video is what you viewed? You can CLEARLY see as Faber's stick clips through his own body, delaying when he can physically pokecheck.

The stick touches the skate of the shooter after the shot is taken. I don't see how this is causing a delay with pokechecking.

As for MacKinnon, stick-on-stick contact essentially tip of the blade against the blade. What do you want me to do there then? I'm going to need a video because I don't know anymore.

I'm not seeing where the blades are touching. They look close, but the replay would need to be zoomed in more to know for sure. To me, it looks like the stick is pulled back to make the pass at the same time MacKinnon's stick comes close.
Blinkimic
Rising Hotshot
3 months ago
You're absolutely positive that in this screenshot, right in front of the net, Faber isn't having his stick clip through his body? You're absolutely positive that this is a normal direction for his stick to go when someone presses R1 to poke the puck? Up and through the body, to the opposite direction of the puck/stick you would logically poke otherwise?

And in this screenshot, you're absolutely positive that MacKinnon makes zero contact with the stick blade and that as the stick blade is being pushed ahead to make the pass, MacKinnon's stick shouldn't have interfered with that whatsoever? I mean I'm just trying to get some clarification here because honestly, if this isn't how pokechecking is supposed to work then I'm going to have to stop playing the game because then pokechecking works in a different way than what I've watched guys like Duncan Keith, Patrice Bergeron and Aleksander Barkov do it.
thegarden94
Seasoned Ace
3 months ago
In 25 this would have knock the puck loose
cab0526
Rising Scout
3 months ago
You play this game, right? You haven’t noticed a problem?
EA_Aljo
Community Manager
3 months ago
I agree poke checks could use a slight buff, but in general, I'm having little issue with them. I have numerous pokes each game that separate the carrier from the puck. Of course there are times this doesn't happen when it seems that it should. Normally, in those cases, I'm getting my body in the way and knocking it loose just from physical contact.
cab0526
Rising Scout
3 months ago
Can you post video of successful poke checks?