NHL 16 puck carrier randomly skate backwards

Nothing wrong with the controllers, all you need to do is test them out with other games. This issue started with NHL 15 and vision control. I figured it out in Team Practice mode. Select 5 players on offense and Breakout. The practice starts with you behind the net, throw a pass up the boards to your winger while holding the hustle button. The winger will turn around and back skate. Do it again, but this time don't hold the hustle button, winger never back skates.

As for your ice tilt, I believe it does exist to a point. But not for the reason you suggested. Just because you have a stacked team doesn't give you the birth right to win games. You still have to know how to play the game. I will say, I play the same settings every game, I can't understand how in one game my players are hard on the puck, looking to skate up the ice in one game, and in another, are skating around clueless, staring at the puck, throwing passes up the ice only to have the forwards momentum coming back towards my net. I don't understand why they don't play the same way each game.