Tactics & Attributes Guide

[ExeR]

Introduction

I'm doing it for myself anyway, so might as well share the process. Forum has post editing functionality, that's pretty much all you need for this "project".
What's the problem?
Already mentioned it in multiple feedback posts, but FHM is skewed towards text. Despite that (and the fact that there's manual with examples) some things are left for imagination. And process of figuring it out by yourself leaves many confused. You can scroll through forum and lots of topics would be about "attributes value" or "how tactics work".
But even bigger problem is the one that comes from things that have been described. As you can see from this helpful post about "attributes for tactical roles":
https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=307213
key attributes selection is prone to wrong/misleading correlation effect. W/o context, simple&logical suggestions like "all offensive defenders need Accel&Agility" can lead to wrong conclusions. Take point shooter for example. Simplest test & screwing around with attributes will show that Accel&Agility doesn't bring much to the table, even for somebody as slow as Shea

You only start seeing gains at very elite (near 20) level of other key off. attributes. But even best players in NHL don't have enough ability for that. Plus point shooter is contradictory in nature to suggested attribute profile. High shooting range is more common among strong and thus slower guys.
So there's a need to avoid these roadblocks.
Goals
Main goal is to make one shop stop for all things tactics. And to make it somewhat "FHM version" independent. I've done this with other manager games and the worst thing to do is to waste time analyzing best way to exploit current version or dealing with broken roles. Much better to use tactical categories provided by FHM and think about real game. If simulation does a bad job, so be it.
More defined goals:
1) Make "attributes combinations" in most efficient way. I've already done it for 2019 season but it's a work in progress
https://i.imgur.com/yU0tEay.png
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing
2) Provide logical framework for:
a) Attribute Combinations of player
b) Tactical Tendencies based on attribute combos

c) Tactical Role best suited for player abilities.
d) Combination of a,b,c. Player is not playing alone, but building lineups with idea of his strengths in mind is much easier. But there are also exceptions and priorities. You can't make defender key figure on offense if you have 3 exceptional forwards. But build line properly, and Point Shooter taking most shots @ 6.4% accuracy won't be effectiveness killer. Instead Garbage collector or Screener will get huge bump to their numbers. F.e. their Accuracy can be close to 20% and line can have insane +/-. Results are on screen above.
So in the end it would be something like tactical synergy table based on actions & interactions between your line players.
https://i.imgur.com/TXLUp2V.png
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing
3) Tactical synergy has some categories that are formulated by me, so leaving out that you might not agree with them, those categories need explaining. Luckily, there are tools for graphic representation which I hope get into FHM one day
https://i.imgur.com/nG46mSx.png
From that image you can intuitively see tactical connections and attribute requirments for players. But more importantly concepts like "space created/used".
If center is static, F1(playmaker) can move along boards and to the middle freely. Center & Point Shooter (RD1) will occupy opponents and keep them glued to themselves opening up the ice. Somebody like Voracek/Wheeler will benefit greatly, because their passing is elite, but Puck Handling/Possession or quickness is not. It's much easier for them to play 1vs1 and protect puck with strength&balance near boards.
If Center is moving, then playmaker has to move further & open up on perimeter (not his strength). RD1 has to move, puck handling/possession increases in importance. F2 might benefit from space near crease, but playmaker+pointshooter combo will bring less to the table. And if F2 is perimeter shooter type he will use space less effectively. So mobile Center abilities should be worth the sacrifice.
4) Examples, examples & examples. Nothing better than those to intuitively understand stuff. 3) had some, so that's the goal. Use real players and teams to demonstrate style of play. Specifically tactical settings.
https://i.imgur.com/mjPGin8.png

[Geekusoid]

Interesting concept. I look forward to seeing where this progresses.

I did something similar based on rain’s spreadsheet but put into math a line composition’s best tactics based on ratings. It’s been pretty interesting to use so far.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ExeR]

Tactical Tendencies of players

Key thing for understanding Tactical Tendencies is to not think about them straight forward. Even something as simple as Aggressiveness that reads like copy of Aggression attribute will have some nuance to it's usage. As introductory post showed, there is a logical web and things affect each other in hundred different ways. So priorities will be dynamic and dependent on other factors.

How Mild-Intense works

Pretty obvious, but the degree to which it works should be explained.
Mild (minimal) value means that you don't want this player doing that at all. It's a powerful limiter, that can nullify high aggression etc to pretty much non-existent output. Even with things like pass that you can't "turn off" use min value only for those, who are truly terrible (~10 for NHL).
In betweens are for preferences or situational use.
Intense/often (max) are for designated specialists or for elite attribute combos (close to 20, blue color). So if you want defender to shoot as much as possible with multiple screening forwards, you choose max. If you have him as one of shooting options for Behind the Net center (or he can skate with puck) then it's better just to increase his shooting. PK Subban will be able to separate himself for shooting opportunity (good quickness & get open) but won't be able to pass (weak passing & Off Read). So even if he skates with puck, it's better if he shoots.

Attacking

Description offers idea of risk taking & conservative play as two poles you're balancing between. But with context, this notion changes dramatically:

Attack & Backchecking "balance"

"Balance" in this case is not about picking one or another. There are players who can&should do both at max. What we really choose here are:
1) Offensive/defensive ability
2) Physical ability to combine Off&Def abilities
3) Priority of OZ/DZ production
M.Tkachuk example
For Tkachuk, defined weaknesses in 1 & 2 make priority obvious. Do we care if he takes all the attacking risks he can from defensive perspective? No, since he is not that good at defending in the first place and he won't be able to catch up even if we max his backchecking effort. So only thing to worry about with him is if he can execute max attacking risk, and that you'll need good defender in appropriate role on his side of ice to cover for him.
J. Gaudreau example
His teammate can handle backchecking effort physically, but gap between offensive&defensive abilities increased even more. So it's also pointless to make him backcheck, because he certainly can be "max attacking risk" player in OZ and will be very pedestrian in DZ. So priority stays in OZ, but if he wasn't as talented offensively and would be stronger defensively it would change. Or you can keep his backchecking at lower, instead of minimum.
M. Foligno example
If Foligno starts trying to be McDavid in OZ, it will lead to giveaways and takeaways for opponent. And after that he won't be able to skate back. So even if we make his backchecking maxed, his attacking risk can ruin it.
So that is the way to think about attacking&backchecking for a player:
1) Level of overall Off/Def ratings. If one is too weak, no need to focus on it. You can max focus on other end if overall ability is good enough.
2) Difference between Off/Def ratings. If players is two way & have skating to be present on both ends then attacking&backchecking sliders should be close & grow together if player is all around beast (att+def+skating).
3) Situational use with unit/line tactics in mind. 3rd/4th line that plays with weaker defenders can be exposed on weaker end. No reason to backcheck less if player is capable physically & plays less minutes than starter. Even if he is weak defensively, his prescence will make it tougher for opponent to punish your 3rd defensive pairing.

Forwards

"Risk" is not the same for positions and tactical roles. It is obvious that defenders & forwards "risk" differently. Let's take one of the most impressive seasons I've seen from opponents in FHM:
https://i.imgur.com/uAuoiE4.png
https://i.imgur.com/uIgdIbA.png
https://i.imgur.com/xwlbQFf.png
https://i.imgur.com/CUH4ryq.png
Despite subpar DR line perfomance was great. Defense was not the priority in the first place
https://i.imgur.com/OAxg2iD.png
But even better illustration is Matthews. He has ability to be looked at as 2-way player. Has stamina & speed to get back and defensive skills
https://i.imgur.com/PVYokuC.png
But success came from going completely opposite direction - making him "all out" Dangler
https://i.imgur.com/MufO0cU.png
Dangler is by default very attack oriented so you can't hurt him too much with adding a little extra risk. Key here is what it brought to the table - allowing team to attack with tempo with Dangler spearheading it
https://i.imgur.com/F99vvdu.png
Now, anytime Matthews couldn't 1vs1 on fast counter, he could find somebody open. If it wasn't fast counter attack, other players would bring the puck while Dangler would roam in dangerous positions.
Or Tarasenko example, as player more suited to Dangler role. He scored 62 goals on more balanced team, that had defense as their priority
https://i.imgur.com/drVH2H0.png
But having Dangler and ability of line to play with tempo maximized his output
https://i.imgur.com/UgjBxS5.png
So what these examples tell us, is that it's not necessary to squeeze all that player has out of him. It's much more important to connect abilities of player and his teammates. If somebody can be elite/unstoppable attacking force, you don't need to worry about "what can he do in DZ". Providing him with much needed tempo & quick support will be much more beneficial for the team. Especially if other player can carry extra load.

Defenders

Risk becomes a real thing for defenders: their mistakes will be almost impossible to cover for and costly (think 1v1 after TO).
Best Connor Mcdavid Breakaway Goals!!!
But there are positives too. Remember Dangler guy from previous paragraph? Well, he can be "checking" risk taking defender. Should be easy to get some of his goals back!
So what are the differences for attacking defender?
a) Not everybody gets same piece of pie. Hollowell from Toronto/Matthews example above had terrible ratings. All because AI manager made him try to be attacking defender in loaded line
https://i.imgur.com/CY6GFKt.png
Instead of trying to be 5th wheel he would be much better off as two-way or defensive role, that covers for others and accepts extra work in DZ. Doesn't mean he didn't do that, but GR for him couldn't be high, because he didn't have enough chances. And his tendency to risk in OZ hurt his defensive capabilities. For him increased attacking was a mistake.
b) Make role reversal in "Who checking who" benefit you. Dangler is checked by defender. Attacking attributes vs Defensive ones. For defender it's all reversed. Good attacking attributes can be against terrible defensive for opponent's forward. Quickness edge for opp's forward will balance it somewhat, but not enough. Let's take the best example in Erik Karlsson (or Dahlin):
https://i.imgur.com/ZQIGwaG.png
Our worst fears when using attacking defender are:
-Loss of possession or bad decisions
-Slow defender that even with good head on his shoulders won't be able to get back in time to cover for mistakes. Or he will not be able to lose checking of good def forward.
For Karlsson none of these problems exist. Not only he's quick and "handly" for defender, he's #20 in quickness and speed and #2 in puck handling in WHOLE league. So any time you make him key part of offense instead of forward, it's an improvement except for McDavid. And since he's checked by much weaker defender, he can have much more impact, relatively speaking.
Erik Karlsson puck control & skating
This opens all kind of doors. Slow pace but all out attacking & shooting? No problem, try to take puck away or prevent shot creation against guy like that. Tempo & skating till great chance? Again, he can breakout and keep puck till opponents run out of patience and foul him.

Decrease attacking

Defenders straight forward, forwards diminishing returns and attacking potential CAP.

Aggression

As a "copy" of attribute, there will be many instances where you don't need to touch aggression at all. So what are the exceptions to that rule:

PK/PP units

PK is negative expectation situation, so no need to make it worse. Main benefit of going after it and playing physically is to maximize puck possession (through return) in 50/50 and physical situation. When playing 4vs5 this benefit loses most of it's purpose. Nobody to pass to. Face pressure on puck. But most importantly cost of mistake. 3vs5 is horrible and "winning puck with some probability" is not worth it. It's ok to weigh pros and cons when it's "foul that leaves team 4vs5". It's completely different equation when it's 3vs5. Not worth it for PK, so even if you play in physical style, PK units are the ones where you need to tone it down. And build tactical tendencies that way: leave player tendencies open, but use unit's tendencies instead. That's how you allow physical defensive players to play w/o hurting team.
https://i.imgur.com/8BCIdrG.png

For PP it's reverse, go for more aggression, try to win puck when they have it and leave player immobile near boards. But don't go all out increasing agro for no reason, cost of mistake is still significant. But if you got above average physicals w/o dirtiness it will be beneficial.
https://i.imgur.com/wEHR35t.png

Nice guys & non-agro roles

Some players can play physical/agro style, but prefer not to. Understandable, since PK, random shifts & leaving team w/o star doesn't help it win. Let's look at other examples to get more reasons for and against:
https://i.imgur.com/pGkqNfK.png
a) Ovechking fits "star" that needs to stay in game for PP not sit in box for PK profile. But factors for activating agro for him would be suitable opponent. You can use active defence, active forecheck scheme and press some slow defenders with puck possession troubles
https://i.imgur.com/6GOhWDZ.jpg
b) Slow defenders like Chara. Not only that, but they are better at passive defense than active one (being slow affects that a lot obviously). So only use for them is to make him crease clearing role against good screener with below average character (temperament, sportsmanship etc).
c) "Quick" & active defenders like Doughty, Hedman, Parayko. Again situational for them. You can't make them more agro and roll through season because they won't be able to catch centers like McDavid. But against slower competition with worse puckhandling ramping it up can be good idea

Enforcers

That's the only group of players that benefit in GR from doing "negative" actions. If you limit their agro to keep them from PIM trouble, pick other role. Major fouls, fights and 500 hits are what fans are here for.
Agitator is probably most productive role in default sense, but all of them would benefit from good character. Bravery, Determination, Temperament, Sportsmanship. W/o those player will just be blackhole of PIM. With good character good agitator can give you:
a) Fights that drag important players of opponent out of game.
b) Get some PIM back from opp's retaliation on himself or on his teammates.
c) Hits. Those can help with puck possession. Recover puck, pass to attacking star, finish some easy opportunities. You can make someone with ~13 off ratings into contributor that way.
https://i.imgur.com/QYJkA3Y.png

Healing hotheads with minimal aggression

Minimal aggression works as a very potent limiter. Would be nice to have player ignore that, but as it stands this is a great way to nullify damage hotheads can do to a team.
https://i.imgur.com/3ZMP8Bs.png
If you leave this guy in default state, he will accumulate lots of PIM. But don't minimize agro for physical players, especially if being physical is big part of their game.
https://i.imgur.com/7aVQYEL.png
No reason to have them on ice if you don't let them do what they do best. Luckily hitting is separate and can be controlled on it's own, but strength, fighting, bravery will help power forwards&screeners to be more productive.

Did somebody tickle me?

If it's not your strong suit, don't even try.
https://i.imgur.com/O5h2tu3.png
End up hurting yourself or team through PIM

Backchecking

Can't treat backchecking like reversed attacking. Attacking has all kinds of other tendencies connected to it: tempo, pass, shooting. In contrast, backchecking just seems like decision about effort.

Carl Hagelin example

https://i.imgur.com/pnTZM0d.png
If it's about effort to get back to defending, this is prime example. Stamina & speed to get back, defensive abilities that are much better than offensive ones. Description of backchecking leaves some doubt as to if we maybe want to leave him hanging for a possible counter. But high speed or counter attacking role should not cloud the judgement. There are two other forwards, surely they don't have 13 Acceleration. Hagelin is better skating to puck than with it, so we don't want him to spearhead counters or be decision maker or creator of shots.
Another thing about offense is that it doesn't have to be minimized for player with max backchecking. Even if we don't want player to play with higher tempo, he can play with other players who play with max tempo because of speed.
https://youtu.be/G_TcTQbS8uc?t=101
Same with attacking risk. He is limited in attributes, so he needs any help he can get. Or there will be some accuracy numbers, that can be outdone by defenders
https://i.imgur.com/SQ5HPoj.png
If he is so adept at recovering, why not let him take some risks. He might not squeeze much out of it, but might still be better than what he will lose (nothing).
So instead of treating him like 3rd defender
https://i.imgur.com/cSAYF63.png
there is a case to be made for allowing him these tendencies in some mobile OZ schemes with teammates who also risk.
https://i.imgur.com/pgDFDvS.png

Defensive and/or slow center

Some differences from wingers. Bergeron is w/o speed and around same in offensive attributes
https://i.imgur.com/thJP5Tr.png
https://youtu.be/rBRVODTRS04
So the question is what are the differences?
a) Center has more defensive variety. So his presence&def ability is usually more important.
b) Can be faceoff specialist (like Bergeron). More puck possession = less defending.
c) Easier to play offensively w/o exposing yourself. Central position helps to cover odd number counters.

When not to backcheck

Obvious example was Dangler. Even if he has def capabilities, it's better to keep him as offensive threat spearheading fast tempo attacks.
Other than that it's important to limit players with weak stamina from tiring themselves out. This example of R.Suzuki
https://i.imgur.com/tP1yZx7.png
is combo of two reasons. If he had great def abilities, you could think about options. But w/o any, there's no use from him being on that side of ice. So he is candidate for minimal backcheck, to keep him as fresh as possible for offense.

Pressure

Pressure is a double edged sword. Main reason being that elite forwards are better than elite defenders at coming out on top from pressure situations.
So you can't treat it like any other tendency, create a rating and increase pressure for all top guys. There are diminishing returns and real risks, so what factors can help with choice of optimal tendency?

Targets for pressure

Luckily for us, most of our opponents won't have many players with 20 in all attributes. 1 line, maybe two. But after that, it's all but guaranteed there will be some targets who will crumble under pressure
https://i.imgur.com/h7OcWpn.png
Those players might have tactical&team role that keeps them off the puck most of the time. But he can't stand as a cone all the time, so as soon as it happens, he should giftwrap the puck for our counter. Those players will be key for the bigger picture.

Difference between DZ tactics (sag zone vs half-ice overload)

Next part of understanding of individual/targeted pressure comes from DZ tactics or schemes:
Something active like half-ice overload
https://i.imgur.com/c8Ao8xD.png
will require whole team moving together and pressing. Even if we target wings of other team, our mistakes & weaknesses will have butterfly effect. Much like with "man-to-man", that leads to more hits&takeaways and better shots allowed number, but those shots will be of much better quality. So it's important to match active pressing tactic with our line's ability to execute it.
Something more passive like sagging zone, that prefers defending space or "prime real estate=crease/seams"
https://i.imgur.com/XxRqM2L.png
can still provide pressure. Not constant and as a team, but targeted as a consequence of team playstyle. Wings have to cover two players while preventing passes to dangerous positions. So it allows us to "target" opponent's defenders. Most of them will be great targets, because it's much easier to find puckhandling+passing+quickness weakness in defender, than in forward.
As a result, pressure is best applied as unit tendency. Global tendency lacks targeting, player's tendency lacks direction. Unit, with the help of line matching, allows to combine best from both worlds.
If 3rd line of opponent got grinder/garbage collector w/o handle & defensive backline, we can press them so much that shot difference will be mind blowing.

Also, that can be a good factor for line matching.

Difference between forward & defender pressure

One more important thing about pressure is logic of risks, similar to attacking tendency. Increased pressure tendency for forward won't be the same as for defender.
From previous paragraphs and positioning/defensive read attributes description it's clear what kind of damage can be done with wrong tactics. If slow center, operating as 3rd defender, or stay-at-home defender starts pressing, instead of keeping crease protected or preventing behind the goal drives, it will lead to disaster (see sagging zone image). Forward can be armed with pressure as a tool to do something defensively, because he can't do it in conventional way
https://i.imgur.com/ECGsBpF.png
Weak positioning can also be a factor. Majority of best defensive players have all def attributes on elite level, so their pressure preference will be dictated by physical attributes or tactic. Some players are better suited for particular style. In this example he can also use his strength & low aggression to be effective. Can't be in many physical situations waiting in position.
https://i.imgur.com/RLmxFKX.png
Disregarding speed/quickness is probably the most common mistake when increasing pressure. Can't be effective at it if you're slow getting there and chasing puckhandler. Speed will also be beneficial if you succeed in pressure & force giveaway/takeaway, since you can counter easily.
https://i.imgur.com/dBZorwY.png
That's why it's important to remember last key attribute - stamina. Not the best idea to make player chase puck around if it will gas him out.
Increasing pressure for defender must have some solid reasoning behind it. Safe bet would be to combine all/most factors used for forwards.
Logical reasoning is pretty straight forward and exists in many sports. Pressure is all about forcing turnovers/giveaways/takeaways so key is to do something productive with them, to cover for risks of costly pressure mistake. Ideal player for that is the one that fits "player pressing=player creating counterattack". So if defender can actively defend on high level and then turn around and breakout by himself, skate from chasing opponent, create something on puck, that's the best possible outcome.
https://i.imgur.com/CbjjLPX.png
So quickness & speed aided by puckhandling & pass would make risking with pressure worth it for defenders.

More pressure = more PIM

Increased pressure will always lead to increase in PIM. So to avoid topping the chart of PK chances:
1) Make sure press is done by quick players with good stick checking & defensive read (less technical mistakes/fouls).
2) If you have quick players that usually lack power (strength, balance, hitting) discourage them from fouling by decreasing aggression & hitting. That's where stickchecking will be useful, can't have them playing passively and doing nothing with pressure style (less agro mistakes/fouls).
3) Match strongest forward (C or Wingers) and DZ tactic. Half ice overload relies more on center, wings down low on wingers.

Hitting

Hitting is one of the most straight forward tendencies, much like it's buddy - Aggressiveness. But unlike agro, Hitting master shouldn't be contained as much and can be put on max tendency.
With that out of the way, only thing left to do is to list all other factors:

Hit master character

Agro doesn't let go so easily. Most of hit masters will be dirty players, and if you unleash them with max hitting, they will bring back more PIM than heads.
Fixing that problem is better done through Aggression decrease. Optimal ratio would be to minimize agro and make Hitting increased.

It's not just more effective way to tame dirty player, but there is also another reason to keep hitting tendency high...

Hit wins possession

This consequence can help offense in hidden manner. All those extra minutes on the puck will make shot difference better in the end of game/season.
So it's much better idea to keep Hitting higher and agro lower, than try to decrease them together. For a player like Lucic (prototypical power forward) it becomes essential for defensive efficiency.

He can't win puck in conventional way: pressure is too weak (red attributes) and passive defense is not elite either (weak shot blocking & DRead). But he can crush some bones when anybody comes near him. So maximizing that through appropriate tactics (1-2-2 wide forecheck f.e.) will allow him to do something in terms of winning puck back. W/o hit he will be pretty close to dead weight.
There is an exception to this value of hit. If team has no problem with possession or it's effectiveness, but has trouble with PK, it might not be worth it. Quick team with many capable puckhandlers, but bad on faceoffs and with bad goalie should be an example.

Man on man is the plan

Since this tendency depends on so few attributes and is so precise at it's changes, unit/global tendency is rarely used. But some situational uses are still there.
Just like agro hitting should be decreased for PK. And increased for PP even more so than Agro, since you have extra man that can block path or use the fact that path was blocked by teammate. This creates much more opportunities for a hit. Guys with good character and hitting skill won't foul, so it's a freebie.
Only use for 5vs5 unit is again in linematching and situational strategy. Slow line with poor playmaking & puckhandling can be punished by man to man tactic(that increases hit opportunities) or increase in hitting. Playing physical and active against this line can be optimal, while standing around enjoying their "weak" relative effectiveness is not. Usually the goal of such line is to survive & defend, so they don't mind killing time and keeping score the same.

It's your job to take it to them and drop their +/- to Yakutsk temperatures.

Tempo

There are couple of examples of high tempo being productive in "Attacking" tendency description. And it's safe to say that playing with high tempo is better than playing slow. Poll of NHL player was almost unanimous in their desire to acquire one skill - "Speed" of McDavid.

"Why doesn't it work in playoffs" problem

Many things can work in regular season. But some never do in playoffs. Tempo, like many other concepts, fall victim to this problem too. Root cause of this problem is that level of competition becomes elite every night. And if you play quick & skillful defenders even the best forward won't be able to skate circles around them or put goals past "Top 2 Def line + Top 5 goalie" positional power rankings opponent.
If forward is limited, then there's a chance for negative chain reaction. You can have slow teammates that won't be able to support counter. Good teamwork can allow opponent to trap more effectively. More giveaways will be punished by more damage quick defenders of opponent can do. That's a reminder from playoff series vs SJS not to ignore opponent and just put tempo on high because of your player abilities. They might not be so good in relative terms.

Everything has it's limit

Sometimes ideas seems like pure madness
https://i.imgur.com/FZpTUww.png
Wise anecdote can offer some perspective
Tony's joke about the bull - The Sopranos
But a more practical and hockey related reason could be limited nature of "star" players (compared to other sports). When I look at this, I swear I don't want the third guy to play even a minute

But such is life, and that's the beauty of game's intensity. So the question is how to deal with this injustice and how to maximize playing time of stars?
Well, not playing at 100km/h and testing limits of stamina every games seems like good idea and a start. But this idea is not complete without second benefit of slowing it down...

We want you here, not there

Control of possession & playing time is big factor in many sports. No reason you can't exploit it in hockey. When you look at these guys
https://i.imgur.com/1NdJNqD.png
https://i.imgur.com/WlOK1n5.png
only question that comes to mind is "how do I make them use attributes in red instead of attributes in green?". Slowing it down and limiting giveaways just might be it. And best part is, there is nothing they can do to stop it. Mistakes in pressure will allow slow tempo offense to slice them up with efficiency similar to high tempo. Without pressure, they will have to defend as unit with these attributes. You can find AHL guys who are better than that. So key to defeating such a potent player with one weakness is to dictate the rules and control the game. Slow tempo with elite&quick players is all about it:

• More minutes for star players
• More time spent attacking, even if it goes nowhere
• Save stamina to get back to defense
• Use opp's inability to defend efficiently against him and earn most PP chances

Passing

Key thing about passing that is often ignored/forgotten is that it's both giving and receiving. So you can't just increase passing because you want that style of play. Somebody will have to be open for pass happy style to make sense.
Breaking down factors that affect passing from tactical point of view makes everything much simpler:
1) On one hand we have league wide averages by team. They're all pretty much the same
https://i.imgur.com/HjzJ14c.png
Differences are not big enough to say "This team should pass more and this less".
2) On other hand, players like McDavid can do it all. Multi threat. So you don't want to make him pass only like some playmaker, that has trouble with scoring & skating.
So the only thing that can make us decide it's worth it to make McDavid more pass happy are needs of unit/line. We can also bring league averages back to this to glue it all together.
For unit/line, you can find situations to combine best of both worlds:

• Differences in passing ability big enough to implement the style
• Positives from implementing style will outweigh limiting multi threat players

Tampa is a great example of that. Kucherov and Stamkos both can score and assist. But both of them + other players that are better than league average create a very potent passing unit
https://i.imgur.com/nq1WdQH.png
https://i.imgur.com/zPz2hGI.png
Skating & getting open is secondary, but needless to say it meets the requirement. So

Hold your horses on PP

Not everybody has TBL roster. But another use for max passing is PP. Countless players are good fits for PP as scorer, but not as a creator. In 5vs5 play complicating their actions can do more harm than good. But in PP there's less pressure and demand for quality. Mediocre player can still pass it around to create a better shot. This is especially important for weak faceoff attribute lines
https://i.imgur.com/mcsbrk7.png
Both McDavid & MacKinnon made the list, so your PP even with best players in league can be night and day just because of this little detail.
You can spam low % shots and then chase puck to your own zone for half of PP time. Or you can spend 2 minutes with McDavid trying to crack defense w/o unnecessary risks and shot created in the end will be much better.

Two-way PK

Increased passing can be a variant for puck possession SH Attack on PK. There are two main ways to do it: keep it with speed and puckhandling or keep it with strength & passing. So best suited players will be two-way stars. Good enough on defense for PK, and then can pass it around and deal with pressure from weak defenders (opp's power play unit will be attack oriented).

"You can do it" philosophy of less passing

Since the usual reason you don't want player anywhere near puck is solved using other tactical options, you don't have to worry about passing specifically. Lowered involvement of limited defensive player will be enough. Maybe in screener, slot overload tactics you can make the case for keeping puck and try not to pass it through zone. But other tendencies will be more useful. Can't make player not pass at all.
More practical case is somebody who exemplifies choice between rushing defenceman and other roles. You want speed & ability to score, but not to count on him as playmaker.
https://i.imgur.com/yf8tYxo.png
https://i.imgur.com/QVSctNE.png
Players like that will benefit from passing less, because they can skate with puck instead or get open in more dangerous position and hope teammate will deliver. Playmaker defender will stay back and open in safer position for attack restart.
https://i.imgur.com/UvfxWR1.png
For forwards, less passing becomes a little more nuanced. There are more combinations of factors that lead to it and more in-between roles:
1) Forwards with good screening almost never need less passing in regards to OZ. Maybe for breakout & NZ, but it's much better to build tactics around avoiding his weaknesses or his participation. In OZ, this guy either close enough to take "good" shot even with 5 Shooting Range, or he is in process of passing it to somebody who take a shot while he screens. Puckhandling is also not their strong suit
https://i.imgur.com/b98ihTC.png
So you will almost never find a player who will gain from skating away from goal.
2) In between snipers. Below average playmaking & puckhandling, and not enough range to be elite perimeter shooter.
https://i.imgur.com/Het7xu0.png
For a player who can skate in wider are and be perimeter shooter, below average passing & puckhandling is much easier problem to resolve. Defenders nearby providing space, triangle instead of cycle etc. But this particular type of player will be in much harder position. Closer to goal, more clogged passing lanes and no ability to improvise. You can fix him pretty much same way from OZ tactics stand point, but you can't have him constantly trying to squeeze in last pass because he is near the goal. Restraint when on puck can help him tremendously and allow him to avoid giveaways.
3) Puck recovery specialists. It's one thing to have Datsuk rob somebody blind and create easy chance from takeaway. It's another when we consider regular "hit/forecheck specialist". Since those guys usually have ways of protecting puck (speed/strength) and puck recovery can happen in weird spots, it's important to restrain them too. Otherwise they will try to organize breakout or try to be playmaker. Their job is to create space for others & get close and personal with opposition. Can do that when you try to get open for a pass or try to pass it through defenders waiting for it.
4) Not your job. Exception to #2. If you have designated playmaker & designated scorer it would help to keep good structure.
https://i.imgur.com/1QdlcEg.png
https://i.imgur.com/EdbyPGo.png
Especially when it's winger playmaker & center scorer. Center is key part in triangle that you can use when positions are switched (C playmaker & Wing Scorer). But when you don't want him involved in passing game too much and there are no problems with quickness, it would be much better to keep structure of line in tact. So that everybody can do their job and don't try something they're not good at.

Shooting

Key thing about shooting tendency is that it has limited impact. Especially compared to something like "Hitting". Influence on Shots stat will be much lower. So most of the shot volume will be created by line structure, unit abilities, player attributes & OZ tactics. Shooting tendency is a way to fine tune the output.

Reasons to shoot more

1) Elite accuracy. >=10 for defenders, >=16 for forwards. Forwards will also need good range, so that perimeter shots won't drag accuracy & effectiveness down.
2) Variation of first, but more precise. Forward with elite shooting, movement(get open+quickness+off read) & good puckhandle to max his SoG per playing time. He will be close to unstoppable in creating shot opportunities and more volume will allow him to maximize his impact through "Shot per Minute of playing time" metric. You can't ask everybody to do that, accuracy will tank and volume of shots won't increase. But elite player can do both.
3) Solo sniper who should carry the line/unit. If you have quality sniper playing with sub-par teammates for whatever reason, there's no need to think about effectiveness. It won't be good, so might as well go ahead and give best shooter green light. If he gets hot, it will allow line/unit to perform much better than expected. Positive thinking.
4) Volume of shots OZ tactics. Slot overload for example, that doesn't mind huge volume of low accuracy shots from defenders. It will be balanced out by cleanups & insane effectiveness screener or garbage collector can produce. Faceoff abilities & edge is essential for this playstyle.
5) Opponent's shot blocking & GK quality. If opponent doesn't have good passive defense and good goalie, you can put pressure on him with extra shots. One or two suspect goals in and it snowballs from there.

Reasons to shoot less

1) Other side of previous point. If opp has quality shotblocking and goalie or you have weak garbage collectors, shooting more can be counterproductive. Same thing with poor faceoffs skill. No need to give away puck possession through easy/routine saves.
2) Lots of hungry teammates for playmaker to feed. If you have all around threat in elite player, one reason to limit his shooting can be to make his unit better as a result. If he spends more time skating around and creating better opportunities and drawing fouls, it can benefit line of shooters.
3) Don't force shots on line/unit with good playmakers. Same thing as with tempo & attacking risks. Elite players with bad gameplan can play in very primitive way. So if you have ability to create good shots, why not use it. When you have weak faceoffs attribute star players this can be a huge boost to perfomance. Instead of 2-3 faceoffs off of rushed shots, they can try and get better shot at the end of the shift. And if they don't score, other line (with better faceoff %) can come in and create from OZ faceoff win.
4) Karlsson example. Some elite players will have minor potential weaknesses that can affect perfomance if left unchecked.
https://i.imgur.com/G0scm9t.png
We don't have to worry about Karlsson decision making, and his shot is not terrible by all accounts. But his other skills make this option much less desired. He can skate+handle&pass with the best of them, so shot should be last resort. Unless there is a good screener and he should be cog in offensive scheme, it's always better to max his creativity. Shot, especially with his range, will always be there for him.

Tough(?) choice

There are some players that can still be a riddle:
https://i.imgur.com/vpcHrlR.png
It's obvious that we don't want to limit him, but what about balance of scoring & playmaking?
1) Even though his puckhandling is elite, quickness is too low. He won't be able to create skating around, like forward playmakers (who have quickness highlighted as important attributes).
2) No need to worry about his pass or playmaking. If he has poor "teamplayer" attribute, that can be a potential problem. For this player, only problem can be if he has selfish pass/shoot tendency & you want to play with different style than "slot overload" types.
3) Keys to the puzzle:
Accuracy: even though it's sick, it won't make him shoot as well as forwards with same accuracy. Just allows us to enjoy the fact, that even on max shooting he will score better than average offensive defender and will get hot more often (scoring with very high accuracy compared to league average).
Getting open: it's better than your average offensive defender. But not enough to produce anything special, especially with those physicals.
Offensive read: This is the one. Not only it affects both playmaking & scoring, at elite level it can drag everything else with it. Through more attacking risk & previously mentioned above average attributes he can turn into contributor in OZ despite his weak physicals. He won't be able to separate from defender, but anytime defender leaves him & make mistake he will be there to punish it.
Conventional wisdom would be that he is the quarterback - decision making defender. But w/o ability to skate his initiation of creativity will be lackluster. Where he will shine instead is with teammates who can find him. Quarterback wants space so screener will be great for him. While this guy paired with screener will be 2nd immobile object on offense, so 3 other players will have to do all the heavy lifting (and one of them should be defensive defender). So if you give him agile & always moving Gretzky's office type center instead, synergy on offense will increase dramatically. He will be on receiving end of all the space Center created. He will be slow to get there, but vector will be right most of the time. And that's what behind the net center needs. He forces change of direction, cover/double teams from other defenders so he needs someone to utilize space created the right way. Slow "receiver" won't be optimal, but him being smart is much more important for the situation.

[ExeR]

Line management

This is a very broad topic, but general understanding should be good enough. 1 or 2 players in wrong line/unit won't have same impact as f.e. performance randomness. So no need to have all the possible lineups or reduce player to only one role.
But what important is the order we think about this part of tactical menu. With tendencies it's possible to define them through attribute, attribute combination ratings or general idea of his teammates. Tactics can be custom made and changed for every opponent, but line management is not that particular and glues everything together. You can have line that can execute most tactics well, but not vice versa.

OZ DZ faceoff priority

This is pretty straight forward mechanism. It gives first idea of line management: splitting lines into defensive/offensive. Outscoring opponent and focusing only on attack is fun, but you can't spend season w/o getting ton of PK time. So somebody will have to defend and be nominally "defensive" unit. Winning faceoff in DZ can be their first line of defense.
What you don't want in that situation is weak faceoff attack minded unit. Wasting precious shifts on what they can't do effectively is no go.
So FO priority works itself out if you have understanding which line/unit is defensive or not. Only other factor is faceoffs attribute. You might want to move attack minded line higher if they can win faceoffs consistently & skate at opponent with speed advantage. Difference between 13 and 18 FO attribute can cost 10% in success. Top centers faceoff 1500 to 2000 times, so that's 150 to 200 possessions going better faceoff player's way.

Line matching

Can be secondary to filling lines with players. F.e. if you want more balance, you spread talent to make 3 strong lines instead of 1-2 elite ones. That way your ability to match opponent's best lines changes drastically.
But outside of that, def/off split is too important to not use it. So default is to match defensive with 1st of opponent and vice versa. One underrated problem with default approach is centered around players that are not in line choice - goalies. Goalies and team's character define their ability to bounce back. And you will need that, because def line will often go down in score against better 1st line of opp. So if your goalie is shaky and you try to weather the storm, it may snowball more often than you think. In that case it might be wiser to go 1st vs 1st and try to kill time with puck possession+no giveaways style.

Filling special team lines

1) PK lines shows importance of defenders. Even though it's not the problem to have capable 3rd string defenders or plug injuries with AHL/backups, their impact on success skyrockets. On offense, maybe 1 of 2 defenders can have huge impact & good GR. On PK number of forwards decreases while number of defenders stays the same. So it's their time to shine, when team is at it's most vulnerable during the game.
https://i.imgur.com/eTPVEjt.png
So if you're building team around strength of defenders, strength of PK must be among priorities. 6 good defenders with 3 of them being two-way stars is much better than 6 offensive stars with meh defense, especially for PK.
2) PP has "cheat code" that can do exactly reverse and make defenders importance in PP lower (another reason to avoid 6 offensive defenders). It's not without consequences, but pretty much a must for 5vs3 PP
https://i.imgur.com/Y5QIljQ.png
Many PP tactics doesn't rely on 2 blue line shooters, so exchanging defender for forward won't have any negative impact in that regard.
For PP defense tactic choice we will also only benefit from having a more capable active "defender" for "pursue aggressively" option. Sometimes, it can be an upgrade:
https://i.imgur.com/MoW5p0h.png
3) 4 on 4 and 3 on 3 situations dramatically increase importance of skating. So the only advice here is to try and get 8 good skaters and have forwards as multi threat (score, pass, handle). But most important is to split playing time, because intensity will be too high for 1 dominant playing time line to carry.
https://i.imgur.com/aws8tPI.png

5 on 5 lines & balance of lines

There are too many variations of lines to describe and compare them all. Better way would be to describe important factors.
1) Manage playing time and opposition. Line matching is example of that. You do it to spend playing time of lines in most productive way. If 1st line is best in the league, you don't need to match it vs bad one. With other edges, described in "tactical tendencies", it might be better to go best vs best. Consistently outplay their 1st, put pressure on their goalie not yours, enjoy their 3rd being unable to consistently outscore your 3rd.
2) Don't add the 5th wheel. Lines won't be perfectly balanced. Positions on ice & tactical duties won't allow defenders to shine. So expect one of your players to have weak Off Rating. So another reason against team of 6 offensive defenders. Make one work for the other guy.
3) Don't mix strength & weakness. And don't mix up strengths and weaknesses. "Ok this guy is slow, but he can pass really well, so I give him fast pass receivers and it will work". One working for a team can be ignored, other 4 can't. They need to do stuff dictated by tendencies together as a unit. So if you play with tempo, those 4 should play with tempo. You can fine tune 1-2 players in 1-2 tendencies. But most of the things they do should be a team effort.
Same logic works for another great idea: add pure defender or power forward/tough guy to attacking unit. It almost never works. Same goes for 3 defensive forwards. Their shot creation & puck possession will be so weak, that you won't see a benefit. Low shot number for opposition will be outdone by even lower shot number by you. So it will be more productive to combine players by actions they can do together as unit (physical/hitting, pressure, passing) instead of "bad on offense" being unifying factor.
4) Sides & other space considerations. Players occupying same space in OZ, wrong shooting hand etc are often forgotten or ignored. But space created/used and roles have important connection. Screener gives more to shooting defenders&forwards. Behind the net center stays in dead zone and opens lanes to move in and receive pass, but can get pass back in unorthodox position. Shooter from perimeter can receive pass from all teammates, but blocks their lanes and force them to move wider/further.
Keep the image of who goes where, because of what attribute combo play will succeed (defender outskates opponent or forward attracts double coverage)
https://i.imgur.com/UvfxWR1.png
This will make sure everybody is doing what they should and there are no conflicts.

Post with examples

[ExeR]

Tactical Settings

Reminder that I don't know how exactly things work in engine. And from the start, goal wasn't to find exploitative tactics that won't survive one updater or version change.
Info below is for better understanding of how things supposed to work for each tactical option.

Breakout

Breakout has more nuance to it than choice that is given. So we're in charge of picking "control breakout" vs set opponent who is ready to forecheck.
Good start would be the general idea of what's going to happen most of the time and default/regular positions of players

1) Defender will initiate and make first pass or drive with puck
2) Center or defensive winger will be lower, since he helps on defense deep in DZ
3) Strong side forward (winger) on same side and is target for pass off the boards higher (closer to opponent's blue line). That's the first demand to player, strong side winger would have to fight for puck or protect it upon receiving.
4) Weak side forward is option for across the line horizontal movement (skating importance) and 1-touch pass from strong side winger.
Breakout choice is the way we fine tune or structure this general setup.

Descriptions give general idea of consequences and key players and matchups vs forecheck type. Also it's pretty obvious that teamwork, passing & skating are key attributes.
But general setup has multiple passes, different off puck movement options etc. So to avoid weaknesses of players and bad development of breakout it's important to know the details.

Flexible reaction

Flexible reaction is designated to break partial pressing or agro forecheck. Torpedo the ultimate example of style it counters: part press, part zonal, part safety
https://i.imgur.com/UksRQs1.png
So if our team doesn't commit to any zone or action and keeps skating, passing and making decisions in simple manner, opponent will always chase the ghosts.
2-3 all out press is the counter to this option because it always presses the receiver w/o blocking passing lanes or safety.

Along Boards

Along boards is best represented by illustration vs forecheck it's supposed to beat: 1-1-3
https://i.imgur.com/8Dq6cv5.png
1-1-3 is zone/trapping type forecheck. Turning Center into decoy and sending Defenders skating near boards puts opponent into very tough position:
1) Tough to catch good puckhandler skating from middle of the ice
2) Cover/double team anywhere leaves Center wide open.
3) Wingers can skate to free space between defenders and receive easy pass.
4) There are lanes for cross ice pass.
So if defender is good skater & puckhandler & winger on his side reacts by moving into half space (between middle and board) it will be very tough for opponent to stop entrance into OZ & puck advancing.

Through Center

This is pretty straightforward option. Instead of initiating himself, defender dumps puck to Center, who does all the work
https://i.imgur.com/2j4GfGk.png
Since we remove defender's ability from equiation, other parts should compensate:
1) Center needs to be elite. Elite puckhandling, quickness (Accel & Agility) and good passing & Off Read+Teamwork.
2) Weak side defender can become a valid option. Usually he is there for recycling failed attempts. But mobile/rushing defender types can be ideal for this. Fast enough to keep up with Center or get back to defense in case of mistake. And not good as puckhandler/passer to use them as 1st or more involved option.
3) Center needs to come deep into DZ, so don't mess up his role & his actions. Dangler tries to be furthest option and stays higher, so doing through center should be contradictory for him.

Stretch

This option is ideal for "average or worse" playmaking on Center & Defenders. Burden of key/entrance passes will fall on Wingers shoulders.
https://i.imgur.com/Vn40KxS.png
That could be a great fit for "Center sniper/goalscorer"+"Wing playmaker" pairs.
https://i.imgur.com/NP0X8vh.png
Both can have skating & off read on elite level. So after Center dumps puck he can receive it in dangerous position. Skating helps Center all the way: behind the goal swing and OZ entrance on unorthodox position. Last one can be quite an important little detail, because Wings are ahead and should be checked by Defenders. So fast Center will enter checked by opponent's forward.

Forwards High

This option relies heavily on initiating defender.
https://i.imgur.com/mtU6a2X.png
Not only does he have to bring puck from deep, but his pass is tougher + he has decision to make about which option to choose. So puckhandling to deal with agro forecheck and good playmaking will be key for him. It's a good breakout option for offensive defender profile (quarterback, playmaking).
Center is secondary playmaker which is again a natural fit with playmaking defender. Back and forth between them will be key to success in OZ, so passing shouldn't be a problem for him. More tempo, more important Center is.

Strict Positional

Strict positional is based around two concepts:
https://i.imgur.com/MC7ztHI.png
1) You can't cover/check everybody using mirror image. Meaning 3F+2D can't be covered by 3F+2D w/o exposing goal. And there's definitely no reason to expose goal when puck is in opponents DZ. If opp's defenders skate wide to cover Wings, Center can break into free space (in the middle behind opp's center). Nobody wants that, so space near boards will be free.
2) Since there is space, passing triangles will be a constant thing for strict positional formation. D-C-D, D-F-C, F-C-F. So if anybody ever faces blocked pathway, they can skate back, pass to somebody with space to skate into or pass to open guy checked zonally.
That option has synergy with less risk taking, particularly tempo. And it's less demanding to particular attribute at elite level, but would benefit from all around profile.
Best example of team for this option is veteran defenders, who are elite outside of physicals (quickness/speed). They can keep puck and do right decisions, but not skate it or pass on elite level. If they have average forwards upfront it's tough to transfer risk taking or skating to them. They will fail even more. So instead we keep them together, no cross movement or different options.

NZ Offense or OZ entry

Dump In

Dump in is a "low skill, high effort" entry.
https://i.imgur.com/ooPjOoP.png
https://i.imgur.com/gpD4lke.png
And problems with it's potential will come from all angles:
1) We willingly give away possession of puck to turn entry into race to the puck near boards. It sounds great for unit that is dead last in puckhandling & Off Read, but that's not the end of it...
2)...Forwards have to skate & fight for puck. Demand for physical attributes increases. But worst part is that we will face different type of defenders. Some will crumble and won't be tough enough to fight for puck effectively. But there are plenty of defenders who have no problem with physical attributes, especially balance & strength.
3) So even if you have a dream line/unit for that entry method, it will still have high giveaway chance. And finding "perfect" player is not that easy, quickness & strength have negative correlation if anything (ovechkin & matthews are only guys with elite quickness & strength).
And that's how troubles of dump in will snowball. Even if you want to build something very logical like "dump in" + "2-3 press" to hit them if you lose puck, there will be problem with players. Not many of them will be good enough to fix mistakes, because they lack speed:
https://i.imgur.com/rqKb4qX.png
E.Kane - B.Tkachuk - Josh Anderson is probably the best lineup I can come up with. All have trouble with puckhandling & pass (15 or less) and all will shine in physical game. But problem with opposition remains
https://i.imgur.com/7CqZa2s.png
Matching physical attributes of opp's defenders will be common, and only lack of speed will be a positive. But that positive is not guaranteed.

Funnel

That's another "lose puck possession" options that makes players skate to puck instead of skating with puck. But more finesse than dump in.
https://i.imgur.com/6pofk0X.png
https://i.imgur.com/wEi7Nqk.png
Throwing puck at goalie and skating hard to the slot "solves" some problems dump in had:
1) Quickness is now more important, since player can shoot or make plays from rebound if he is unchecked.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q00F07OFycQ
https://i.imgur.com/e2iVFRC.png
https://i.imgur.com/rNp2S03.png
2) You can involve defenders. One as initiator (which is great for breakouts where defender can go wide) and one as rushing/mobile defender that can get long rebound or be free for the pass.
Even though funnel sounds much nicer through positives, there are drawbacks:
1) Lack of power for forwards go both ways. Fighting for puck on slot will be even harder than fighting for puck near boards.
2) Bigger quickness edge is illusionary for the most part. Defenders stay near middle of the ice, so they will have shorter distance to skate and won't leave most dangerous area - slot. For dump in, if they want to contest the puck they will need to skate to wide area, leave slot space open and try to check player that can go different directions (behind goal or along the board)
3) It's risky tactic from positional stand point. Dump in is initiated far, one forward to another, puck loss usually happens deep in DZ near the board (passing lanes blocked). Funnel commits lots of players forward, so any clearance or pass cuts off 3-4 defensive players from your team. More intricate entrance can drag opponent's forwards away, here they will be in prime position for odd man rush.
Thus funnel can have great synergy with quick but technically limited players (Hagelin), but make sure their backchecking tendencies are not "good luck guys".

Activated D

Some theory
https://i.imgur.com/kuJSJY0.png
There are no drawbacks in activating elite offensive defender. He will be able to avoid pressing from active forechecks and skate from deep at passive systems like 1-2-2 Retreat.
Only weakness of Active Def approach is that there is offside rule. It's hard to skate from deep and not have anybody ahead. So saturating blue line like in 1-1-3 leads to array of problems:
https://i.imgur.com/E4uYuZt.png
1) Other defender is recycle option and even he can be blocked by first forward of opponent.
2) Passing lanes and entrance are blocked & covered. Since there are so many players here and they are in 1-3 formation, they can cover for each other mistakes, w/o giving up middle of the ice (even if puck carrying def squeezes past 3rd forward of opp, defender can leave RW and cover).
So that's where importance of skating & puckhandling comes from. Passing is much less important, quickness edge of Wingers will probably be more important for pass success. Importance of pass for defenders and way to beat 1-1-3 positionaly described in Balanced Attack.

Stay In Your Lanes

Continuation of breakouts that keep 2+3 formation. Unlike Balanced Attack, this option doesn't mind going with primitive option. It's not by design we go wide f.e. but because opp blocks passing triangles and skating routes in half spaces with 2-1-2
https://i.imgur.com/XyzM46M.png
Center is taken from the game by opponent, so we go wide. That's why you need somewhat strong Wingers. That pass will be expected and opp's defender might be waiting to hit/pressure them.
But look at the result. Center, despite staying in his lane, gets free space in the middle of the ice to skate into. Opp's defenders either keep that closed or go to pressure Wingers. If they don't press Wingers those guys can enjoy freedom in the corners to create scoring chances by skating, passing, shooting. For this particular tactical matchup Center needs quickness edge to lose cover/check from opp's center.
If opp goes to option that opens Center, it will be easy to find him and use him as playmaker/initiator.
That's why 1-3-1 Trap is so effective against static positioning & obvious puck advancing routes. Saturated forward line will force our defenders to do something, while safety reacts to pass & always covers 1vs1 of our Forwards. So our wingers will start playing 1vs2.

Wide Drive

Wide drive is natural continuation of breakouts, that find wingers in good position to enter OZ (along boards, stretch, forwards high).
https://i.imgur.com/bZZDY3l.png
https://i.imgur.com/mbizgBN.png
Wingers become initiators & decision makers in attack, so that's the key to understanding this option:
1) Skating continues being important. Cross movement in breakout & ability to attack defender from wide here.
2) But more importantly winger needs puckhnadling and Off Read. Skating can be better utilized in dump in and funnel options, here you can have ok skater, but he needs to be able to protect the puck and make good decisions. Marchand, F.Forsberg, Giroux won't be ranked high at skating to puck, but will be great as decision makers that can deal with pressure and protect puck.
3) Agility and puckhandling instead of quickness also comes handy when we think about opponent's coverage. Good matchup like lock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEWHTOvriHo
https://i.imgur.com/NBDu36T.png
works itself out because of direction. Opp is trapping and passively limiting player we want to have puck and enter wide. No matter what they do in DZ, capable Winger will be able to skate around them and make good pass.
And it will stay important even vs bad matchup, that blocks boards with threat of hitting if you try to squeeze into OZ there.
https://i.imgur.com/q2UmrrW.png
Evading one hitter(F2) will crack their defensive formation. Big gap between defenders, Center & weak side Defender can skate into OZ w/o cover. It's still better to avoid going wide when F+D actively moving there to hit your initiator, but at least there will be a chance to avoid it. Average puckhandle & agility will get Winger in trouble.

Balanced Attack

Balanced attack is continuation of flexible reaction & strict positional breakouts, that keep shape of team in pretty much default state - 2+3. That's why it's so effective vs blue line saturating & middle of the ice blocking options of opponent like 1-1-3.
https://i.imgur.com/KNKOceA.png
1) All players are dragged away from blue line a little, to keep passing triangles alive. That gives all of them option to use half spaces (between board & middle of the ice). So all forwards have 2 ways to go->defenders have two ways to pass. Defenders can move forward to occupy one of the options and send winger to another.
2) Highest and lowest forwards of opponent aren't doing anything. Especially low forward, who doesn't block any passing lanes and, more importantly, doesn't block Activated Defender.
Defender that stays back is now free to receive and make passes. And if opp changes to 2-1-2 it immediately breaks that comfort, that's why it's a counter to that. Defender that stays back probably doesn't possess good skating & puckhandling, so our team will be forced to rely on forwards advancing puck 1v1 instead of passing triangles and multiple options of movement.

Forecheck

Offensive roles gain a lot from quickness, because offensive roles only gain DR from active actions and mostly in forecheck/NZ. That's why you can't take elite def attr center who is slow and make him perform well as screener, you need to switch him to two-way or backchecking. So if you have sniper/screener/perimeter shooter roles, players with speed need to forecheck or be prioritised while picking forecheck/NZ option, because they will improve their DR and team perfomance.
Backchecking is continuation of that. If you want your Forwards to do work in DZ, they will need speed and to be able to get back from aggressive/pressing type of forechecks.

1-2-2

Description & illustrations:
"The strength of this system is that the other team is enticed to bring the puck up the boards, and then the boards are taken away. Also if the opponent breaks out, usually only one forechecker is committed deep in the zone. The weakness in the 1-2-2 system is that the opponent has slightly more time to make plays on the breakout, and teams with good passing defensemen can hit the middle of the ice."
https://i.imgur.com/LS0srDQ.png
Player types, required actions & attributes:
1) Press defender with puck from middle of the ice (to deny simple straight pass to Center). Requires 1 pressing forward (center).
2) Close passing lanes to boards. Movement for wingers involve cross ice skating and change of positions, so they will need good skating. Requires 3 quick forwards (ideally with good hitting or stickchecking)
https://i.imgur.com/0n0K81T.png
3) Defenders are not very active and stay back to give this forecheck solidity. It relies on workload and abilities of Forwards to be successful. 2 static defenders.
Opp's weakness exploited:
1) Weak initiator center (slow, weak puckhandling/passing).
2) Over reliance on Wingers to advance the puck or be playmakers.
Strong vs Stretch:
https://i.imgur.com/M7UayHI.png
Both variations of Stretch
1) Center stays in the middle waiting for pass (left side of image)
2) Center Swings behind net to find 3 stretched options (right side of image)
don't perform well, because our Center mimicks his movement (press followed by moving into wide position) and we close the board with Winger. Even if opp's center skates to the middle of the ice instead of passing, there is no need for our static defenders to react. Plus opp's winger moved there and our Center and LW will be trailing them.
Weak vs Through Center:
https://i.imgur.com/wVNirKe.png
Center is left uncovered and has multiple options. Through Center make him come very deep into DZ to pick up the puck, so he will move through middle of the ice and find space to receive the pass. It won't be the end of the world, but our forwards will skate around accomplishing nothing. So if you don't have exceptional stamina & skating there's no need to use this option vs Center initiator. Much better to commit & risk more playing 2-1-2 with cover on center and pressure on opp's defenders.
Transition & continuation:
NZ Coverage
+ 1-2-2 Wide (pressing forward, wingers with wide positioning, 2 static defenders)
+ 1-2-2 Lock (pressing forward, quick forward moving side to side, wingers with wide positioning)
+ 1-3-1 Trap (pressing forward, wingers with wide positioning)
? 1-2-2 Retreat (shape restricts opp's wingers, static defenders)
? 1-3-1 Boucher passive&reactionary, thus forward mobility loses it's purpose
- 2-1-2 requires pressing defenders by wingers, forcing them to stay near middle of the ice, C and Wingers switch duties (press/blocking), defenders can't be static.
- 1-1-3 mobility & wide positioning loses it's purpose.
Best use:
Line/unit with rigid structure, meaning forwards mostly responsible for OZ success and defenders for DZ success. Most common situation is slow-ish but elite otherwise defenders. You can play all OZ tactics that keep them near blue line and never expose goal or middle of the ice. Benefit of 1-2-2 is that only 1 forward commits to pressing deep, so opp will almost never catch you out of position and create something from slot.

1-1-3

Description & illustrations:
https://i.imgur.com/UGunND6.png
1-1-3 saturates two key areas:middle of the ice and blue line. Center (pressing forward) tries to force puck movement to the boards, where passing options are limited compared to middle of the ice. That's where 1-1-3 takes different approach from 1-2-2 Wide.
If opp's center tries to stay in the middle of the ice and manages to receive the puck, he also has blocked passing lanes.
This option produces opp's forward giveaways because each on of them is checked and covered for (if center skates by LW, RD covers for him). So all they have left is to try and pass it through sticks waiting for it.
Player types, required actions & attributes:
1) Center that can disrupt passing & skating by playmaking Defender
2) Opp has playmaker Defender + mobile Forwards line structure.
3) Opp has Defenders that can't skate or protect puck from our Center.
Somebody like William Karlsson is great example
https://i.imgur.com/sQGWSdx.png
Not a type of player for physical team press or tactics that force puck to boards (weak hitting & power). But when teammates close passing lanes and puck advancing options for opp's defender, he can be one man press machine annoying defenders again and again. Even if he won't hit you, it's tough to outskate him and pass puck around him.
4) Wingers have less demand for mobility, so they could be more defensive type (better positioning&checking, weaker skating/physicals & def read)
Opp's weakness exploited:
1) Weak initiator Wingers (slow, weak puckhandling/passing).
2) Over reliance on defenders as passing initiators.
3) Weak skating of defenders
Strong vs Forwards High:
https://i.imgur.com/S8e0gSZ.png
All desired receivers are under check. Center, who has most space and should be either first or second pass target is under double coverage. Non along the board passes to wingers are also blocked.
Weak vs Along Boards:
https://i.imgur.com/XsqdaXm.png
Driving along the boards is obvious weakness for tactic that wants to keep 2 forwards close to middle of the ice. Avoiding using opp's center as passing option and the fact that our center is trailing the play leaves defender on the board no chance to stop play developing. He can't split in two and there are always two simple pass options for opp's LD+LW pair.
If puck goes to the other side it's same situation but worse. 2nd forward is even further from play, so opp's 2nd defender will have space & time to play puck back across the ice.
Transition & continuation:
NZ Coverage
+ 1-1-3: Natural fit, continuation of forecheck
+ 1-3-1 Trap: blocking passing lanes in the middle, 1 pressing forward
+ 1-3-1 Boucher blocking passing lanes and space in the middle
+ 1-2-2 Retreat: blocking philosophy, 1 pressing forward
? 1-2-2 Lock: requires mobile wingers, trapping instead of blocking, mobile defender (would be doable if you could micromanage who goes where)
- 1-2-2 Wide: requires mobile wingers, opens up middle of the ice
- 2-1-2: positional conflicts, different philosophy
Best use:
It should be situational, because it's very dependent on quality of opp's defenders. Somebody like Byfuglien
https://i.imgur.com/HoqJONc.png
won't succeed even with Along the Boards counter. He can't skate from anybody and will be checked again and again by our Center. But sadly, most of defenders with good pass who want to play with Forwards High (breakout option we counter) will be able to skate & have good puckhandling. So once you're in playoffs and play Karlsson etc 1-1-3 effectiveness will fall off the cliff.

2-1-2

Description & illustrations:
"This system forces the opponent’s defense to handle pressure while also taking away all options up the boards. This is also a physical forecheck because F1 and F2 are in deep and looking to finish hits while the defense are set to come down the boards when the puck is moved to the opposition wingers. The 2-1-2 forecheck forces teams to use the middle of the ice to escape the zone. The strength of the system is in the pressure it applies while at the same time giving the opponent only certain areas to break out of the zone.
The weakness of the 2-1-2 system is that at times you have a defenseman pinching and a forward back on defense accepting the rush when the opponent breaks out. Most forwards are weaker at defending the rush than any of the six defensemen."
https://i.imgur.com/JSBJrEd.png
Player types, required actions & attributes:
Key for this option is that Center usually stays back and covers for defenders, who are more involved than in safe/pragmatic options like 1-2-2
https://i.imgur.com/7Fjk5qA.png
So if you have slow defensive Center, like M. Koivu
https://i.imgur.com/vekyj28.png
you won't mind that switch, he's better than most defenders. But he might struggle skating around & chasing puck in pressing forecheck options.
2 pressing Wingers
1 defensive Center
2 mobile Defenders
Opp's weakness exploited:
Strong vs Along Boards:
https://i.imgur.com/heMv4B7.png
Wingers press opp's defenders and skate with them. Our defenders close boards for opp's Wingers. Pass to middle or drive from opp's Winger is blocked by our Center, who moves with the puck into defender's position and block trajectory of those actions.
Weak vs Forwards High:
Key problem for that option comes from defender moving from position. Even if Center covers for him, you're still stuck with 2 in the back.
https://i.imgur.com/I51sQ8r.png
Opp's Center is free to move 2 ways, and both times can be found with pass. So simple cross ice position change will allow opp to deal with forecheck. But then again, if you have Center like Koivu covering it should be ok unless C+D+D all lose race to their goal.
Transition & continuation:
NZ Coverage
+ 2-1-2 Natural fit, continuation of forecheck.
+ 1-1-3 2 pressing forwards, defensive center but static defenders.
+ 1-3-1 Trap use of defensive center & mobile defender, 1 pressing forward, 1 forward that needs to move along weak side board
? 1-2-2 Lock good player types fit, but positional troubles?
- 1-2-2 Wide structure loses it's purpose, static defenders
- 1-2-2 Retreat structure & philosophy lose their purpose, static defenders
- 1-3-1 Boucher structure & philosophy lose their purpose
Best use:
Main benefit of C-to-D switch is that it's much easier to transition into blue line or middle of the ice saturating neutral zone coverages (1-1-3). So in a way we can switch things up between opp's DZ (forecheck) and NZ. In forecheck 1-1-3 beats Forwards High, that beats 2-1-2 forecheck.
So if opp has average skater @ center, we can go 2-1-2 as forecheck to force mistakes. If opponents deal with it, they won't be able to attack with tempo. Then we can switch to 1-1-3 in NZ, and block all space in the middle. 2-1-2 forecheck and 1-1-3 NZ share same strength in limiting opp's skating defenders. 2-1-2 in NZ beats balanced attack, while 1-1-3 struggles. So if Forwards High breakout won't lead to breakaways, we can pick and choose our options, while forcing opp's defenders to be good at both passing & skating.

2-3 Press

Description & illustrations:
https://youtu.be/PALBOBCxFq0?t=39
https://i.imgur.com/SRA4rbg.png
2-3 press is all about hitting opponents upon receiving puck.
Player types, required actions & attributes:
Ideally, 5 quick & hard hitting players. But as mentioned before, it's tough to find players combining these particular attribute combos, since correlation between power & speed is usually negative.
That's why secondary focus should be on non-dirty character (help with max hitting) and workrate (stamina & def read).
Opp's weakness exploited:
1) Teams that rely on off-puck movement and "support" style to provide more passing options.
2) Inability to make quick decisions (low teamplayer & off read)
3) Inability to skate the puck or avoid getting hit (low quickness, low agility, low puckhandling, low balance&strength). Doesn't have to be all of them at the same time, but if you think about hitting Z. Chara, it won't be hard (he's static) but you might hurt yourself doing that.
Strong vs Flexible Reaction:
https://i.imgur.com/yindozm.png
Initial goal of pressing defenders is to deny pass to center, so if it's successful, puck will go to winger near board. Our rotation of 3 creates wall in front of opp's center, and allows to cover for every mistake. So if opp's winger manages to escape RD's cover, our Center who moved to initial RD's position will meet him near board. LD will be covering opp's center and side-to-side passing lane, since LW will be trailing behind opp's right winger.
Weak vs Stretch:
https://i.imgur.com/w7g0B6B.png
Unlike Flexible Reaction, Stretch doesn't stay compact and positions players far from each other (both vertically & horizontally) to provide them space to skate into.
1) When defender brings the puck from behind the goal (left side) our Center & LW get isolated and have to make actions that conflict with 2-3 press structure.
LW has to stay on his side instead of chasing puckhandler, because of rotation of 3. Since puck moved to the other side he has to go back to LD's initial position. He's in between opp's C and RW, and since RW moves cross ice he will stay with ghost of opp's Center that faked swing behind the net.
Center is too far from anybody to make a move and has to cover 2 passing lanes when rotating to RD's position.
2) When opp's center takes puck on the behind the net Swing, our RW has to press two player, then trail center. This allows passing lanes to be open. Opp's strong side winger went higher, this stretches 3 blue line cover players. Our Center is again too far from action to do anything, but has to move away from passing lanes to fulfill his duties. This just illustrates how Stretch style turns pressing/mobile against itself.
Transition & continuation:
NZ Coverage
+ 2-1-2 Pressing forwards, mobile defenders
+ 1-2-2 Wide Mobile Forwards, pressing forward, hitting on the boards
+ 1-1-3 2 pressing forwards, hitting, similar positioning
+ 1-2-2 Lock Blocking pass receivers, mobile forwards
? 1-3-1 Trap 1 Mobile defender,1 pressing forward
- 1-2-2 Retreat Passive & non contact
- 1-3-1 Boucher No pressing
Best use:
We want puck to move instead of players, so skating edge will be very important for success of this option:
1) Can be continuation of Dump In NZ Offense. Everytime puck is turned over we can hit them. Plus position near the board make opponents much more susceptible to hits.
2) Way to turn "slow skating & low tempo" unit's weaknesses against them.
3) Good option for physical edge. Even if other team has quick non-physical forwards, 2-3 positioning allows to cover for unsuccessful hits so mistakes won't be too costly.

Torpedo

Description & illustrations:
"The system is called torpedo because the first two forwards in on the forecheck buzz from corner to corner, pressuring the puck.The third forward (F3), who is usually the center, stays high on one side. The defensive defenseman stays in the center of the blue line and is more of a safety. On the opposite side of F3 is the offensive defenseman. The offensive defenseman and the center have the freedom to pinch down hard on all passes up their boards and also move in offensively when F1 and F2 have puck possession. Some coaches will allow F3 and D2 to pinch all the way down the boards to the goal line on that side."
https://i.imgur.com/qinhFhC.png
"The advantage of this system is that F1 and F2 always provide pressure on the opposing defense, while passes up the boards are shut down by F3 and D2. Also when the puck is turned over, there are two potential passing options for F1 and F2. Offensively, F3 and D2 are always ready to jump in to receive a pass or take a shot. For this system to work effectively, the center (F3) must be good at playing back defensively because if D2 gets caught in the zone, F3 will have to play defense with D1. Few teams are as comfortable with their centers playing back as they are with their defense. Also the wingers who get in on the forecheck must be good, quick skaters who can “buzz” from side to side. As with other systems, the weakness in the torpedo system is that the middle of the ice is available for breakout plays. Although the torpedo is nontraditional and sometimes disregarded because of that, if you have the personnel to fit the descriptions of the positions, it is definitely worth trying."
Torpedo System - Forecheck
Player types, required actions & attributes
So keys for torpedo:
1) Put pressure on defenders and force them to make a pass. Requires 2 pressing forwards.
2) Press Wingers soon after receiving & block their pass lane near boards. Requires 1 mobile defender.
3) 1 Safety defender transitions to NZ coverage with safety or saturated blue line & covers opp's Center in case of failed forecheck.
Opp's weakness exploited:
1) Defenders susceptible to pressure (slow, weak puckhandling).
2) Inability to advance the puck as a unit (designated breakout player like in Through Center)
Strong vs Through Center:
https://i.imgur.com/OdIpZnV.png
Both passing lanes from defenders to center are blocked. Swing behind the goal is also unavailable, since defenders are getting pressed there. Even if center manages to avoid pressing forwards, there is safety to cover for them.
Weak vs Flexible Reaction
https://i.imgur.com/UksRQs1.png
Our pressing wingers block initial straight pass to opp's Center. But in Flexible Reaction everybody skates around reacting to position of opponents & teammates. So middle restricting pressing won't block passing lane to opp's center new position (in orange). Now opp's defender can find him or winger with a pass, with multiple options future options available. Safety can't split in two, so everybody starts picking from 2 poisons. Mobile defender has to cover middle of the ice, opening board for opp's initial pass defender to skate there.
Transition & continuation:
NZ Coverage
+ 2-1-2 press opp's defenders, mobile defender closes wide option on board
+ 1-1-3 two pressing forwards, safety defender
+ 1-3-1 Trap pressing/trapping forward, mobile defender, safety defender
+ 1-2-2 Lock 2 skating/trapping forwards, mobile defender closes wide option on board
- 1-2-2 Wide, 1-2-2 Retreat, 1-3-1 Boucher lack pressing and are passive/reactionary in nature.
Best use:
The best use of this option should be mediocre 1st line that you match against 3rd of opponent. That way we can max all the positives and remove the negative:
1) Opp's defenders will be the weakest passers & decision makers, prone to mistake forced by pressure.
2) Our mediocre 1st will probably have 2-way Center or Mobile defender who can pinch down their Wingers.
3) Defensive defender can be reliable safety and won't hurt our pressing with things he can't do.
4) Their Center might be below average skater & attacker. So when he's left free by our scheme, it won't have much negative impact. Most 3rd lines got some sort of Grinder or 2-way slow Center.

NZ Coverage

1-2-2 Wide

"The most important factor in making it work effectively is the play of F1. He should never forecheck too deep or too wide and give up mid-ice space. F1 should take a shallow angle and steer the puck carrier to one side. If a D-to-D pass is made by the opposition, then F1 reattacks on a shallow angle once again. F1 must stay within 6 feet (1.8 m) of the blue line when initiating the push and take away the mid-ice pass with a well placed stick. Let the opposition have the return D-to-D pass.
Essentially F1 remains between the dots through this sequence to once again take away mid ice space"
https://i.imgur.com/nXQsO0R.png
"F2 and F3 have simplified responsibilities. They stay on their side of the ice and lock the wide lanes (by staying in their specific lanes and skating backward to take away passing options). If the puck carrier comes up F2’s side, then he stands up (doesn’t back in) and keeps the opposition from gaining the red line (e.g., forces him to ice the puck). F3 takes the wide lane and makes sure no pass can get to a player in that lane. D1 and D2 keep a tight gap in the middle of the ice, ready to adjust to the puck (figure 7.3a). If the puck is moved to mid-ice or up the boards, then all five players react. D1 would overplay the boards when the puck comes
up F2’s side. D2 stays in mid ice and F3 takes the wide lane"
https://i.imgur.com/ALXDBiw.png
So keys are:
1) Mobile Center with good Def Read.
2) Wingers can be weak chain in terms of skill, but have to be physical.
3) Defenders have to react and move, so better to avoid safety types that like passive defense.
Because defenders leave their line to go higher, this option is weak against Dump In. Our Wingers that can hit probably won't be quick, so opp can utilize his quick wingers to full effect.

1-2-2 Lock

"This system is common at many levels because it denies teams the ability to bring the puck up the middle and forces teams to move the puck wide and try to enter up the boards. F1 starts by steering the puck to one side, and unlike other systems mentioned, he may take away either the D-to-D return pass or the wide-lane pass, depending on which is a priority (figure 7.7). This will influence the angle F1 takes and also the position of his stick. F2 challenges O1 before the red line, forcing him to ice the puck or chip in behind. F3 locks across hard on the opposing player in mid-ice.
F3 does not allow passes to any player in mid-ice and forces the opposition to make the long, wide pass to gain entry to the offensive zone.
https://i.imgur.com/KOHQZzJ.png
"D1 is ready to recover any chips in behind F2 and ready to challenge any bank passes to O3. D2 is responsible for any wide passes to O4. D2 must be alert because this is the one way teams try to break the 1-2-2 mid-ice lock—they will pass wide to O4 and try to have him pick up speed before the pass is made."
https://i.imgur.com/yIDnUtg.png
So LW being good defender is not the only requirement. Other forwards will need to move properly to close middle of the ice.
This is really the prelude to DZ option where LW should be involved. We block funnel entrance and send opp's wingers wide (thus wide drive weakness). Now with the puck in his corner this good LW defender can help against Winger and be effective vs board combo (RD+RW).
In the end it boils down to:
1) Right side is more potent (more right handed players who are more comfortable in driving behind goal etc).
2) We redirect opp's attacks there and make sure we have good defensive winger giving them hell all the way.

1-2-2 Retreat

Description & illustrations:
"This is a very defensive setup and is similar to the 1-2-2 mid-ice lock. The primary difference is that all five players tighten up, with F1 moving down to the top of the offensive zone circles and the two defensemen back no farther than the center red line. As the offensive team advances up ice, all five players skate backward and retreat in a tight pack (should move like there is a rope tying them together). This creates the visual of limited space for the offensive team."
https://i.imgur.com/tEj5yMI.png
Player types, required actions & attributes:
Elite positioning, good shot blocking, teamwork, def read & checking for whole team.
Speed for defenders makes sense only in terms of countering dump ins. Other than that, defenders will be in good position compared to other tactics, so it's an option for less quickness not more.
Weaknesses related to active/physical defense: weak stamina, balance, strength&hitting, quickness, bravery etc.
https://i.imgur.com/8ci45LC.png
Much less sense trapping somebody near mid line with 1-2-2 Lock with player like this. Plus when we keep him close with defenders, he can cover for them even w/o quickness and keep opp's options on the outside. Foligno (from 1-2-2 Lock example) is also slow, but he can go to the boards and hit somebody there. Not an option here, so better to stay close together as unit.
Opp's weakness exploited:
1) Weak puckhandling, playmaking, quickness of opp's defenders.
2) Inability to drive through defense: opp has no elite agility&puckhandling or good puckhandling&strength&balance players.
3) Mediocre pass & off read. Space will be restricted, time won't be. So there's no usual pressure on weak playmakers, but there is pressure not to make mistakes on dangerous/blocked passing lanes. This will be hard for 15 pass 15 Off Read guys.
Strong vs Dump In:
Because of defender's position (always deep at the back) it's hard to catch them off guard or find space with dump in. Dump in is already "50/50 fight for it" type entrance, it will have much less success vs tactic that contests it most.
Weak vs Activated D:
https://i.imgur.com/Ys81iFK.png
Retreat doesn't force puck into pressing/traps, so when opp bring numbers from deep coverage becomes hard. Opp's center and Activated defender can be on same passing lane, and that will allow Act. Def to drive through middle or straight to the point through board. So cross movements & need for our players to cover 2 players will allow opp to skate into OZ w/o trouble.
Transition & continuation:
+ Collapse to Net Importance of positioning, forcing opp to outside, positional fit.
+ Strict Zonal Importance of positioning, positional fit.
+ Wingers Down Low Positional fit (wingers near defenders), importance of positioning&checking on wingers, center skates between points to limit space.
+ 2-3 Importance of positioning on forwards, players close
? Sagging Zone Wingers move instead of Center, but otherwise good fit. Defenders need to be competent at active defense.
- Half Ice Overload Opening slot to press on boards, so exactly opposite philosophy.
- Man on Man No reason to play passively in NZ if you're able to play Man on Man.
Best use:
It can be surprisingly good fit for "attacking 4th" line types. Usually filled with prospects who are not there ability wise, but have good speed and offensive skills. Normally, you would never try to count on player like this
https://i.imgur.com/5NtPA1t.png
in teamwork + positioning type scheme. But "will he fit in 1-2-2 Retreat & good DZ tactic?" is not the right question to ask.
Right question would come from understanding, that he has weaknesses and will suck on defense, so "how do you minimize that?". 1-2-2 Retreat can easily be the answer to that question:
1) He can be weak link in "teamwork oriented" mechanism, but it will continue working. In pressing/active options his fails will turn into 2vs1 for somebody else. Plus, weak defensive abilities will lead to much more PIM for active defender. So that's two areas where we can make him hurt team less because of passive & simple approach.
2) Do we really want him actively defending if he has weak stamina & power & stickchecking? It's not uncommon that these players are weak in all of those.
3) Previous points are usually countered by making them Danglers or "less backchecking" players. There are two major problems with that:
All 3 forwards might be like that, so you can't defend 2vs5.
They play fewer minutes, so no need for them to rest on the ice, even if they don't have good stamina.
4) The speed question is key one. Not only can quickness help in DZ (for zonal options), but it glues defense & offense together. We know that 1-2-2 Retreat and related DZ tactics lead to more interceptions than takeaways/hits. So that will allow us to turn weakness into strength by counterattacking. Nothing bad will happen if "Dangler" type will stand near opp's defensive defender and block passing lane to middle of the ice poorly. But with max interceptions this player will get plenty of chances to punish opponent for his mistakes. So classic counterattacking thinking:
We acknowledge that they will control the puck more easily
Block/prevent easy options of shot creation
Force opp to get result through volume or risks
Use frequent mistakes/giveaways to launch counterattacks and use weak def attribute wings strengths.

1-3-1 Trap

"When looking at the 1-3- 1 the three 3 players across the middle of the ice definitely eliminate any room up the middle but gives up space behind on the far blue line. The theory is that it is more difficult to make the long pass especially through traffic.
The 1-3-1 can be played in two ways, either by designating which defenseman is up in the middle of the ice or having the defensemen react depending on which side the puck is on. We believe it is easier if one D is designated as the up player and one D is designated as the back player
https://i.imgur.com/bsJLYNH.png
"F1 has the freedom to go a little deeper (and press or angle the opponent with the puck) in this system because three lanes are covered in behind. F2 and F3 play their sides of the ice—if the puck carrier comes up F2’s side, then he stands up and prevents him from gaining the red line. F3 makes sure the wide lane is locked up and also prevents any passes from going to players in behind D2.
D2 tightens up in the middle of the ice, playing as far up as the top of the circle. D2 may skate forward or accept the rush skating backward. Regardless, D2 must keep a tight gap in the middle. D1 sits back and plays like a rover in football—stays in the middle initially and then reacts to wherever the puck goes"
https://i.imgur.com/L3z5jxB.png
Keys to success for this option:
1) Center that is a good enough defender&skater to close the trap on defender after forcing initial D-to-D pass. Skating edge of C vs D is quite common, so finding players for this role shouldn't be hard.
2) Active Defender that leaves blue line & def. pair. Idea is that he will have good enough checking and if he has to skate after Center, he will have help from safety. But that's where vulnerability vs Funnel comes from, we don't block Funnel area, and Defender left space in the middle to cover Center higher. So if you don't want to pay the price for that, make sure that at least one defender is capable skater, that won't lose race to the goal against Center.

1-3-1 Boucher

The difference from trap variation is that Center is not active and stays near the middle of the ice i reactionary mode.
https://i.imgur.com/S26himr.png
https://i.imgur.com/NIpAJpk.png
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_lNo5JWkRY
Blocking passing lanes in reactionary mode is more difficult. As you can see from examples, defenders can just move puck between them freely. Even though we block best passing lanes with 1-3-1 positioning, free defenders will always have 2 passing lanes open to them to find Winger. That's why our Winger positioning is important
https://i.imgur.com/3PWJAiA.png
If our Winger is a cone, quick passing will find the gaps and allow opponent to develop side-to-side attack where we will have to chase. If he's good at positioning and reacting, options will be closed and passes will have huge risks of being giveaways/turnovers.

2-1-2

"This is a common neutral zone forecheck off a lost draw, but it is also used effectively by many teams who want to apply more pressure in this area (when trailing in the game or in need of a more offensive approach). The 2-1-2 system is one of the more aggressive neutral zone forechecks. It is basically a man-on-man system in the neutral zone. F2 and F3 attack the opponent’s defense in a staggered fashion. Therefore if O1 has the puck, F2 will force and F3 will be halfway to O2. If a pass is made to O2,
then F3 will jump immediately. F1 locks onto the other team’s center, making sure no passes can be made to the middle of the ice, because both defensemen have outside responsibility. D1 moves up on any passes to O4, and D2 does the same for passes to O5. It is important that one D remain in the middle of the ice at all times when the other D is forcing the outside"
https://i.imgur.com/zbQP4eh.png
Continuation of 2-1-2 forecheck. Man-to-man and putting pressure on defenders.
Main matchup would be Center vs Center, because in forecheck he will drop back but here he will have to play his counterpart 1vs1. Either defensive Center to check effectively, or capable defender with good physicals (which is already requirement for man-to-man type defences).

1-1-3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qupJSP8qYEw
Differences from 1-3-1:
1) Much like in trap 1-3-1 Center has to force puck movement & chase puck.
2) Demand for mobility moved up the ice. If 1-3-1 has to skate to goal, here 1-1 forwards positioned up the ice have to move around and react. It's much easier to find forward that can skate with rushing defender than 1-3-1 demand of skating Defender matching with opp's center.
3) Saturating blue line leads to obvious strength vs Forward High style from opponent. Other options risk running into hit on boards, because it's very tough to enter through middle of the ice against that formation.
All these reasons make 1-1-3 great as tempo killer. There's no reliable way to advance puck quick for opponent. Long pass targets are covered, quick drives will be redirected into hit. This also makes it great counter-attacking option. So when Washington used it for 4th line it was a good fit of players & tactics. Small amount of playing time, so high intensity playstyle for forwards (skate pressing high then counter after turnover) was doable. And if opp slowed it down, 4th line don't mind and rested for counter-attacks.
Weakness is obvious when you understand strength. Vs slow & methodical entrance where everybody pass and move as a team 1-1-3 option will be very weak.
https://i.imgur.com/4nYE8I0.png
1) Our Center can't block return D-to-D pass & pass to center at the same time. Second forward won't be able to cover movement of opp's LD and passing lanes at the same time.
2) If opp finds Center with a pass from defender they basically executed Forwards High style we were preventing.
3) If opp finds LW things get even worse. Now no matter who received the pass, they can start cross movement. Opp's LD can skate wide and create +1 overload. Our 2nd forward (LW) wants to stay in the middle, but if he skates to cover opp's defender, they can just use simple passes to turn attack around and use other side. Passing lane in the middle will now be open.
4) Worst part is that everything will happen around RW, who might not be as good as defenders. So that will be find to avoid when using 1-1-3: weak defensive winger. Other two need skating effort (effectiveness can be nullified) but this guy can't be hidden on blue line if he is slow f.e. In worst case scenario he will be put to the test, so slow defensive winger can be a good fit in this option
https://i.imgur.com/fbCX7M7.png
Especially in regards to his battle with opponent's defenders. Limiting them in more proactive way is tough: despite good def attributes quickness edge for opp is too big. One mistake and offensive defender will fly away from him. In 1-1-3 Activated Defender is redirected near boards and limited in space. So it's much easier to hit him or stop passing/driving attempts.

[Colorado]

Don't want to punctuate your posts, but great work ��

[alko]

OMG. How long did you write this?

[ExeR]

Tactical Settings

Reminder that I don't know how exactly things work in engine. And from the start, goal wasn't to find exploitative tactics that won't survive one updater or version change.
Info below is for better understanding of how things supposed to work for each tactical option.

OZ Attacking

Once an attacking team has possession in the offensive zone, the brilliant coaches in the great game of hockey really turn on the creative juices. The goal of every attacking team is to create offensive chances. What constitutes a “chance” differs from coach to coach, but in essence, a chance is a shot taken from inside the scoring area. There are three general philosophies to create these offensive chances:
1. Shooting through traffic
2. Creating separation
3. Creating deception

Cycle

The cycle works best when the player with the puck deep in the offensive zone begins to bring the puck up the boards toward the blue line.
https://i.imgur.com/FAmjMqb.png
Generally a defender will press this puck carrier toward the boards and work to remove the puck. The key to the cycle setup is the second offensive forward. This forward mirrors the positioning of the puck carrier but stays 10 or 15 feet (3.0 to 4.6 m) away from the puck carrier on the boards, toward the goal line. This player calls for the puck.The tendency is for players to pass into open ice, but the cycle doesn’t work best this way. It works best when the puck is angled off the boards, away from the defender’s stick, so it bounces off the boards and onto the stick of the second offensive forward.
The purpose of the cycle is to keep possession of the puck and take it to the net to create a scoring chance. If the initial player with the puck can gain a lane to the net, he shouldn’t cycle—he should take the puck to the net.
The three forwards should move in sequence from the boards to the slot to the net and back to the corner.The goal of the cycle is to pull a defender out of position and then attack the net or the seams with a quick pass to the open player. Opponents often get their coverage confused because of the quick rotation of players who cycle with the puck then lay it to the corner and work to get open. The cycle is not easy to continuously defend, and when defending the cycle a missed assignment means an offensive chance.

Slot Overload

Taking shots through traffic (players in front of the goaltender) will obviously distract the goaltender or deny him the opportunity to see the puck. Goalies are so good these days that a shot without traffic between the shooter and the goalie in many instances is a giveaway. All of the top offensive teams make sure that one player is always in the net area and moving across the sight lines of the goaltender or planted in front of the goaltender. Often this tactic results in the opposition trying to clear the net by moving this player which results in a double screen or possibly a penalty. Both favor the offensive team.

Behind Net

In the separation tactic, the puck carrier creates the time and space needed to make successful plays and create shots. Players away from the puck have to work to get open and separate from their check. They should move to areas where they can receive a pass and be ready to one time the puck or shoot quickly.
Sometimes players off the puck can move into an area and then push off their check or push back into an open space. It sounds like a simple principle to separate from your check but I find that a lot of offensive players off the puck skate into their check and essentially “check themselves”. When you watch smart players they always seem to be able to get open and as a result they always have the puck.
Gaining offensive positioning behind the net opens up many opportunities for direct-shot (high %) chances. When a pass is made to the back of the net the offensive team will always get there first because the defensive team never overplays this area. Using the back of the net forces the opposing defense and goaltender to focus on that area while losing track of where players are in front. Sometimes two defenders can be drawn into
this area; if the defensemen are unsure of who should be covering the player behind the net, both may jump in at the same time. Now at least one offensive player will be open in the dangerous scoring area in front of the net.
https://i.imgur.com/4nnSCz0.png
One of the most effective plays from behind the net occurs when an offensive defenseman skates hard from the point (blue line) looking to receive a pass in the slot. If the defenseman pressing the net is unable to receive a clear pass, the second option off of this play becomes very dangerous. As this defenseman moves to the front of the net—pulling as many defenders with him as possible—the boards-side forward steps into this “soft spot” vacuum and often gets to take a dangerous shot through the traffic created by the pressing defenseman.
https://i.imgur.com/KSnFnwM.png
The second play selection from behind the net is also hard to defend. The big decision that defenders must make about the offensive player standing behind the net with the puck is when or how they should flush him out from behind the net. If the defending defenseman attacks the offensive player from one side of the net, two options open up.. The first is that players in highpercentage scoring areas may be left open. The second option is for the player with the puck to reverse the flow and create some “back-door” deception. When flushed out, the player with the puck angles the puck (similar the half-boards cycle) to a teammate filling this flushed-out position. Defenders who were focused on the player being flushed out must now divert their attention back toward the other side of the net. This refocus often opens up backdoor or back-side plays.

Stretch the Zone

https://i.imgur.com/vragXxN.png
Offensive players with the puck make a quick pass to the point (F1 to D1) when they get the puck low or possibly recover a loose rebound in the corner. D1 can now make a decision to shoot, move the puck to D2, or pass back to one of the forwards. Having the puck move from down low to the blue line creates a gap in the defensive alignment because the defensive wingers try to rush to their point coverage, leaving space between them and their defense. When all five defensive players are down low, the scoring area is crowded; getting the defensive wingers to move out high creates more space in the slot. Each time defenders scramble to defend the high blue line area, there is opportunity for offensive players to find more time and space to create better offensive chances low. Also, the shot from the point, through traffic, is still a primary option to create scoring chances.

Triangle

https://i.imgur.com/USn03T7.png
Triangle has same philosophy as Forwards High breakout, where Forwards do all the skating while Defenders feed them puck.
https://i.imgur.com/YennlB7.png
Key difference is that position of Forwards become random (illustrated in different colors) and all of them can go from Forward near net to initial passer near board.
One of the best things about this option is that if other team is unbalanced (one winger is much better defender than other) triangle will expose weak link. Another strength is that it's a good matchup vs Winger Down Low DZ system. Opp's center skating between Defenders accomplish nothing, since they're passers looking to recycle puck & restart triangle. And since puck doesn't get stuck and positions change all the time it's very tough for opp's Winger to trap puckhandler.
If it's center instead of winger down low (like in 2-3 DZ) then triangle suffers much more. Space is limited near the goal, so whole 3vs5 by our forwards won't work. Defenders will have to present shooting or driving danger.

Crash the Net

https://youtu.be/wVXpThucghQ?t=1087

Lane Positioning

1-2-1-1

2-3

DZ Coverage

2-3

"In this system, the two defensemen work with one forward (usually the center) to cover down low, while the wingers cover the slot and higher areas. While in the defensive zone, all players should have an “active stick,” meaning the stick is on the ice and it is moving. This takes away shooting lanes and leads to turnovers and transition opportunities."
https://i.imgur.com/f5zLAFV.png
Zones for 3 by position
Zones for 3
Hit Zone
In this area, the first defensive player quickly closes on the puck carrier and makes contact with the opponent’s body. By containing the defensive player holds his position briefly then cautiously goes at the puck carrier. Containing means keeping he puck carrier in a set space by holding inside position and not letting him get to the net. Once the puck is moved or opp loses possession, defender stays with his check until that player is no longer a passing option.The desired goal is for all defending players to keep their positioning between the opposing players and the goal you are defending.
Support Zone
In this zone, the defensive player is aware of both the puck carrier and the closest passing option. Make sure the puck carrier cannot walk to the net if the first player gets beaten or falls down, and be ready to take away the opponent’s closest passing option. Give yourself some space to react to the movement of players and the puck. At all times, try to stay above the goal line in support coverage. Because not many goals are scored by opposing teams from behind the goal line, your defensive positioning should not have you rushing into this area.
Net Zone
One player, usually a D, must always be in this zone. Be aware of the third offensive player, and play halfway to any overload shooters (the offensive player on the half of the ice where the puck is). If there are any breakdowns, be patient and don’t leave this area unless replaced by a teammate. Keep your stick on the ice. Stay out of the blue crease area, allowing the goaltender to have free movement."
Zones for 2
"Strong-Side Top Zone
F2 holds inside position at the top of the slot. F2 must be ready to slide out tighter to his point if the puck carrier has the ability to pass there or cover him tight if he comes into the slot.
When players cycle up high out of the corner, F2 must hold the top of the circle and deny inside access. Once a pass is made out to the point, F2 must approach the defenseman in the shooting lane so as to take away a direct shot on net.
Back-Side Slot Coverage
F3 slides down lower on the back side. If the net D is caught out of position, F3 will protect the low slot. Be aware of the back-side point sliding in. If F3 loses sight of where the backside defenseman is then he will have an opportunity to move into a dangerous scoring area for a wide pass outside the vision of the goaltender. F3 must always have his head on a swivel."

Collapse to the Net

"In this system, all five defensive players collapse in tight and basically play the opponent five on three low.
https://i.imgur.com/9URbNxm.png
The theory is that you take away all plays to the slot by outnumbering the opponent and clogging up the scoring area. Most NHL teams use this collapse around the net style of play when the puck is below the goal line or after a point shot. Once the puck is passed back to the defenseman, the wingers who have collapsed in tight now move out to block the shooting lane.
Playing Low Five on Three
Low 5-on-3 coverage
D1, F1, and D2 work together and play the three low zones (hit zone, support zone, and net zone). The first forward back assumes the position of F1. Most of the time you want your center in this position, so an exchange may be made when appropriate. The other two forwards sink in tight as well. The adjustment from the 2-3 system is that D2 can now move to the strong-side post F3 plays close to the net, covering the low slot while F2 (who is also collapsed below the dots) tries to deny
passes back to the point.
High Zone Coverage
https://i.imgur.com/zo2hWh9.png
When the offensive team moves the puck back to the point, F2 expands out in the shooting lane. F2 should move quickly but be under control when the defenseman is ready to shoot. Get into the shooting lane when you anticipate a shot. At times it will be necessary to slide and block the shot. F3 holds the slot by moving out slightly and then when the opponent passes the puck D-D, F3 will move out in the shooting lane and F2 will
rebound back to the low slot."

Half Ice Overload

In this system, the defensive group basically splits the rink in half, trying to squeeze the offensive team to one half of the ice.
https://i.imgur.com/Hjlha2E.png
Plays to the back side are given up but made difficult because of the number of bodies in the way and how tough it is to make the long cross ice pass. D1, F1, and D2 take care of the strong-side corner and at times will be playing the opponent three on two in that area. These three defensive players squeeze the offensive space the opponents have to work in, and once the puck is recovered, they either quickly move it up the strong side or escape out the wide side.
If the defensive team has three players down in the corner, then the most important player off the puck is F3, who covers the slot but also shading to the strong side. F3 must be aware of the opponent’s third forward and cover anyone who comes to the front of the net while at the same time be looking to see if the opposing back-side defenseman is moving into the scoring area. The opposition will try to sneak a defenseman down the back side, so F3 has to be aware and alert. F2 takes away the strong-side defenseman by playing much closer to the boards, therefore denying a pass out to the strong-side point. F2 needs to start inside the circle and then move out to cut off players cycling up the boards and having an active stick to cut off passes to the point.
The advantage of this system is that it is very difficult for the offensive team to find room to move and make plays on the strong side. A lot of teams like to cycle and then attack the net, but with this system, space to cycle is all but eliminated. When offensive players play against teams that use the half-ice overload, they often complain that they have no time! The one disadvantage is that quick plays to the net may result in a two on one on F3 if the opposing defensemen drives to the front of the net, but this is a difficult pass to make."

Man on Man

"This system relies on constant puck pressure and denying time and space to the opponent. D1 starts by pressuring the puck carrier and then, after a pass is made, sticks with that player as he tries to get open. The only place D1 won’t follow the player when he doesn’t have the puck is out to the blue line; D1 has tight coverage on any players in the slot. F1 now pressures the pass and once again if the puck is moved sticks to his man.
https://i.imgur.com/FWPRBzL.png
This continues with D2 in the low zone area while F2 and F3 have responsibility for the opposing defensemen. F2 and F3 cover the defensemen whether they move in through the slot or slide down the boards.
There is no confusion with the man-on-man system with regard to who a player is covering, but if the opposition is fairly creative and incorporates lots of motion, then it becomes harder to stay with your check. The new rules preventing clutching and grabbing have made it harder to play a true man-on-man system, but it can be very effective if the defenders are good skaters because the offensive team has minimal time with the puck before being pressured, and players away from the puck have trouble finding space to get open for a return pass.

Wingers Down Low

https://i.imgur.com/23Yq3ig.png
"In this system the center is responsible for taking away the strong side defense on both sides. This allows the winger to help out down low and should give you a 4 on 3 advantage down low.
The strong side defense and the strong side winger should be on the puck. The weak side defense and winger should be in front of the net. If the puck goes to the other corner, one player can release right away, the other player waits until the wing or defense returns to the front of the net, then they can release to the strong side. The center, on both sides is making sure to take away the pass away from the strong side defense."

Strict Zonal

https://www.coppernblue.com/2012/4/4...1-zone-defence
https://i.imgur.com/xjl4DUk.png
"As the puck moves around the zone, the defensive player who is pressuring the puck drops back into the zone and another player takes up pursuit of the puck. Generally what you see is a W or a D pressuring the puck around the zone, with the C covering for them, only pressuring when his teammate is transitioning back into the box.
The drawbacks are that it’s often a low pressure system. It can be hard to pressure the puck and cause a turnover because you generally only send one man at a time. This system also requires discipline, meaning you really have to hold your zone and positioning. It breaks down when the wrong person chases the puck, or chases it too far without resetting. It relies on the next teammate over being in the right place and switching at the right time."

Sagging Zone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVGnwpOAvbw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7VIKTj7Ip8
Defensive Zone Coverage: Sagging Zone in Action
Man advantage near goal, constant switch in adjustment to attacking situation (so def read, position & teamwork is very important), puts pressure on opp defenders to do something in short time span or opp forwards to create danger from "safe" zones

[SprongShowHKY]

I love this with my whole heart. It's like a hockey tactical explanation and how to play FHM 6 at the same time. I think I learned more from reading this post then watching the game for years.

[Sabres2000]

I always wondered this like if you taking each players top player attribute for the tactics and just set it up for that and go from there type thing? I never really understood how each player tactic rating setting works

[ExeR]

PP & PK

Importance of special team play is hard to underestimate. Some numbers to make it easier to understand:
1) 5-6 minutes of PP for a team every game
2) 5-6 minutes of PK for a team every game
3) In some hard fought games one side of special team play can get to 25% of playing time for a player.
4) Much higher points gained/lost ratio. PP goals are 1/3 of all goals, despite PP TOI being 1/10 of playing time.
So special team management is very important. And it's a convenient way of building the roster: keep PP/PK units in mind and fill positions with appropriate players.

Power Play

1. Select a formation & tactic that fits your team. It's hard to find tactics that McDavid can't perform in, so start from weaknesses or average attributes of your PP unit players.
2. Identify and maximize your key players impact. Much like a quarterback in football, one or two players on the power play should take the lead and pick the best available play or shot.
3. Win the draw! Face-offs are so key on special teams. It takes 15 to 20 seconds to get set up again in the zone if the other team clears the puck.
4. Have two units with two looks. Confuse the other team’s penalty-killing units by having a different setup for each of your units.
5. Outwork the penalty-killing unit. Recognizing that they have the advantage, most power plays let up a bit with regard to effort, but this shouldn’t happen. Either keep the puck and keep PK unit skating around for long period of time, or pick "volume of shots" option and take it to them through intensity or physical play.

PP Breakouts

Drop Pass

Description & illustrations:"The key here is for the late forward to delay long enough to be an option once the defense carries the puck up over the blueline. D1 starts by skating up the middle with F2 and D2 moving up the outside. F3 stretches and F1 comes late from deep in the zone behind the play. When D1 crosses the blue line he should try to drag the first penalty killer to one side and then lay the puck over to the area where F1 is skating into. The penalty killers who have been backing up with the initial rush now have to slow down and adjust to F1. F1 has too much speed and should be able to weave his way into the zone. F2, F3, and D2 have to be careful not to go offside."

Player types, required actions & attributes:
Puck carrying Defender (good/elite puckhandling, average skating, average passing) that needs to advance puck vs possible opponent's forecheck. Example 1 Victor Soderstrom
Center coming from deep (good/elite quickness & speed, good/elite puckhandling, average/weak get open & passing & ORead) that will enter OZ Example 1 Example 2. Key player in this option, make sure providing him time & space won't be a waste.
Cross ice moving Winger (good/elite quickness & agility & get open). "Dangler", who will sometimes be found with a pass. Not in this particular option, but he will have to skate with or trail behind Center, so he will need elite agility & goalscorer sense.TBL rebound goal Johny Hockey
Transition & continuation: Motion 2-3
Best use: Great option for high tempo units.

Swing

Description & illustrations:"D1 gets the puck behind the net. D2 swings in one corner, and F1 swings in the other. F2 waits at the near blue line, F3 at the far blue line. As D1 begins to advance up the ice, F2 and F3 start to move across the ice, with both players looking to get open early. Options for D1 are to pass to F1 with support fromF2, pass to D2 with support from F3, pass to F2 or F3 early (may use a long bank pass to F3), or skate the puck and rimit to either side."

https://coachnielsen.files.wordpress...oubleswing.jpg
http://www.nhlspecialteams.com/blog/...r-play-so-good

Player types, required actions & attributes:
Two cross ice moving Wingers (good/elite quickness & agility & get open). Key players for entry in this option. Unlike in "Drop Pass", Center and Defender are not looking to skate with puck and look to support Wingers movement. Wingers have space in the middle of the ice all to themselves, so it should help them to find openings to enter OZ.
Passing Defender Example 1 Example 2
Passing Center Example 1 Example 2
Both usually lack skating & puckhandling. This option will help them avoid forecheck pressure. Their goal is to support Wingers with timely & precise passes.
Transition & continuation: Behind the Net
Best use: Normal or Slow Tempo Units, that rely on passing to create high quality chances & avoid giveaways.

Cut

Description & illustrations:"D1 stops behind the net with the puck. D2 swings in one corner. F1 and F2 swing in the other, with F1 slightly ahead. F3 stretches. The primary option and one that sometimes can result in a breakaway is for D1 to pass to F2 on the inside angle, trying to split the seam between the defenders. The reason this pass is so effective is that by D1 faking a pass to F1 wide and then passing quickly to F2 on the inside it freezes opposition defense and allows F2 to split the seam with speed. D1 also has the option of passing to F1 who carries the puck in with support from F2; pass to D2, who gets support from F3; pass to F3 early if uncovered; or rim the puck to F1 or F2."

Player types, required actions & attributes:
This is more passing version of "Drop Pass" so player types will be same, but duties will change.
Quarterback/Playmaking Defender. Elite puckhandling AND passing. E. Karlsson. This will provide more variety, since most PK forechecks close middle of the ice. With freedom to enter through any side, you can fully exploit efficiency of all around strong PP unit (1 elite defender + 4 forwards).
Secondary playmaker Center. He won't go deep to come at opponent with speed, so elite get open, ORead & passing will be much more useful for him.
Same goes for cross ice moving Winger. He will stay ahead of everybody and won't have to trail play. So quickness and agility is less important, while being involved in passing play more will have same demands as for Center.
This option is more suited for "all around"/"can do it all" ability profiles. Not bad enough to struggle, but not good enough to just skate at opposition with one unstoppable option. Sea of green
Transition & continuation: 1-3-1
Best use: Elite Defender + 4 forwards PP units w/o weaknesses (meaning nobody is slow, can't pass, can't handle pressure).

Five Back

Description & illustrations:"All players come back to the puck. Once the last player is back, all five players start to advance up ice together. F2 and F3 take the inside lanes while F1 and D2 move up ice along the boards. D1 has the option to pass to the inside players (F2 and F3) or to the outside lanes (F1 and D2). D1 tries to draw the PK’ers into the middle and then dish the puck to speed wide. If D1 skates the puck to center, he can continue into the zone or rim the puck to either side."

Player types, required actions & attributes:
Quarterback/Playmaking Defender. Doesn't need to be elite
in everything. Passes are simpler and middle of the ice will probably be blocked. He just needs to protect puck vs forecheck and advance it enough to force opposition movement Example
No designated entry player, but no positional variety for passing options either. So all other players should have speed & puckhandling to exploit coming from deep & balanced vector (no strong/weak side) advantages.
Transition & continuation:
Best use: High Tempo PP Unit with good speed & puckhandling, but average passing. Can struggle vs reactionary/passive PK Forechecks like 1-3 or 0-4, but will do great vs others.

Up the Centre

Description & illustrations:"In this option, D2 takes the puck up the ice in a wide lane hoping to draw a defender outside. As D2 advances, he looks to pass inside to F1, who comes from behind the play and moves with speed through the middle of the ice. F2 and F3 stretch. When the first penalty killer is drawn outside, the middle opens up for F1 to skate into. The second option is to use F2 or F3 on the stretch."

Player types, required actions & attributes:
Sending initial playmaker wide is a double edged sword:
On one hand you don't allow packed middle of the ice to cause you trouble. Plus you keep 3 at the back (D-C-D) and don't rush entrances, so opp won't be able to use reactionary or passive forechecks to contain you.
On another hand opp can use quickness and pressure to nullify your man advantage because you keep so many players in the back.
So all forwards should be able to handle 1vs1 (balance, agility, puckhandling, passing) and have good teamwork. W/o boards entrance and man advantages, teamwork & passing using Center will become key.
Transition & continuation:
Best use: If you want to make McDavid/MacKinnon Center of the universe, this is the option. Success relies on Center abilities the most out of any option. You can put more pressure on slow defenders through speed using "Drop Pass", but all other possibilities(good opp's defenders, teammates with weaknesses) will be better through this option.

Dump In

http://www.nhlspecialteams.com/blog/...the-power-play
Not the best idea to try it w/o good reason. Also, try to pay attention to opponent's goalie skating/passing attributes, or it will be even worse.
https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2017/05/25...-run-to-final/
He handles the puck like an extra defenseman. He foils the dump-and-chase efforts of opponents.
https://www.nhl.com/news/predators-g...er/c-289653534
Nashville clogs the neutral zone, pinches off the puck carrier and forces him to dump in the puck. Rinne goes behind the net and grabs it.
What separates Rinne from other puck-handling goaltenders is that he is so aggressive and skilled at acquiring the puck, giving him more chances to handle it.
Rinne sometimes drops into a butterfly behind the net. During the Western Conference Final, Anaheim Ducks defenseman Josh Manson joked that Rinne would make 35 saves in the net and 25 outside of it. When opponents try to thwart him by rimming the puck high on the glass, Rinne will throw his 6-foot-5 frame against the wall. Most goaltenders don't do that because of the risk the puck will hit a partition and ricochet in front of the net.
Recovering the dump-in. The key to recovering the dumpin is to get all three forwards quickly to the puck. Once the puck is stopped and the forwards are in a battle for possession, F1, F2, or F3 should rim or bank the puck back to the blue line as soon as they get it on their stick. The defensemen should be ready at the corners of the blue line and expect the quick rim pass. The penalty-killing team will probably have three players in the corner for the battle, so this will give the power play time to set up.

Player types, required actions & attributes:
https://i.imgur.com/Gr8Ofwx.png
https://i.imgur.com/rdIEItD.png
Transition & continuation:
Best use:

PP OZ Attacking

Overload

https://crossicehockey.com/overload-power-play-system/
Description & illustrations:"When using the overload power play, either side can be the strong side, with left-hand shots quarterbacking from the half boards on the right side and right shots on the left side. This gives the player a shooting and passing advantage from that area. As the name implies, the setup is overloaded to the strong side, with four players on that half of the ice. In this setup, much like most powerplay setups, net presence is critical for success. It is important that the net player be in a screen position most of the time but also available to pop out into a scoring area. When setting up the overload and moving the puck, the team should try to twist the box around by having the strong-side D move quickly across the blue line and even go beyond the halfway point before passing back to the half boards or over to D2.
https://blueseatblogs.com/2011/10/11...special-teams/
https://blog.purehockey.com/hockey-d...ies-in-hockey/
Employed by units with playmakers, the Overload system calls for skilled skaters to cycle the puck continuously to create havoc among the defenders.
Forwards are focused on overwhelming opponents along the half boards. With consistent movement down low, the Overload is designed to create and take advantage of defensive openings.
Also known as the 1-2-2, the power play overload depends on constant cycling and motion. The trouble with the setup, however, is with so much motion, players sometimes don’t generate a lot of shots and become prone to turnovers.
Player types, required actions & attributes:
Half-Boards Player (F1 playmaker)
The half-boards player is the key quarterback of this setup, with D1 playing a secondary role. The half-boards player must slide up and down the boards, distribute the puck, and shoot from the outside, all while under pressure. He has to be calm and poised with the puck and quick to recognize where to move the puck.
Penalty killers will either force the half-boards player with their D from down low or their forward from the top, so this player must be able to move with the pressure, protect the puck, and make a play.
Strong-Side Point Man (D1 playmaker)
The strong-side defenseman is the other key player in this overload setup. He along with the half-boards player will have the puck the most and be the ones to settle the play down and set up. Keep your feet on the blue line to create space between yourself and the penalty killers. This extra room will give you time to make decisions or step into a shot, while drawing out the penalty killers and creating seams in behind. This player needs to have a shooting mentality and always be a threat to shoot. The number one way to score and create chances on the power play is still to take a point shot with net traffic. Sometimes the shot can be a wrist shot, and other times the D should shoot hard. The penalty killers shouldn’t
know whether the D is going to shoot or pass—have good deception. When pressured, move the puck to the half-boards player or the back-side D, or make a quick, low play.
Low Walk Player
The low walk player should have his feet on the goal line and stay close to the net in order to attack quickly and also move in to screen the goaltender or get a rebound. If this player drifts too far to the outside, he cannot do either. The low walk player must be versatile and quick. At times he will switch with the half-boards player, usually when there is no option available as the halfboards player drives the net. This tactic forces the penalty killers to adjust quickly and often creates passing options. Before the game, find out how the other team forces—will they pressure
quickly with the low defenseman, or will they hold the front of the net? This information will help determine what option might be available and where the pressure will come from.
Net Man (F2 screen+pass Center)
The net player’s main job is to screen the goaltender on all shots and then be ready to play rebounds. Although it sounds simple, it requires courage to stand in front of shots and a lot of skill to deflect them. When the puck is moved low, the net player should slide out to the low slot or back door (on the back post away from coverage) to wait for a pass. Either option is good, but it should be predetermined before the game so the low player knows where to pass the puck. Sometimes the net player is so anxious to get available for a low play that he loses the screen position when players above himare ready to shoot. The screen is very important because you want the opposing goaltender to have to work to see the puck. Make the goaltender’s job tough.
Sliding Back-Side D (D2 perimeter-blueline shooter)
The back-side defenseman initially provides a release to get the puck away from pressure and also supports the strong-side D when he is under pressure. He will be a threat to score because he is outside the vision of the penalty killers. He sometimes gets lost as the penalty killers focus on the overload side. Move up and down the far side of the ice, staying in line with the position of the puck. Go down as far as the goal line and up as high as the blue line. If you recover a loose puck on the far side, set up on the half boards and then briefly work the setup from there.
Typical plays:
BACK-SIDE D SLIDE AND SHOOT
STRONG-SIDE D SHOT
HALF-BOARDS SHOT
LOW PLAY OPTION
HALF-BOARDS INTERCHANGE
SLIDING D INTERCHANGE
Best use:

Box+1 or 2-1-2

Description & illustrations:https://crossicehockey.com/power-play-system-box-one/

As is the case in most power play formations, your right winger and right defenseman should ideally shoot lefty and your left winger and left defenseman should shoot from the right. Adhering to this rule of thumb will facilitate puck movement as you cycle through the zone.
Center (Jack Eichel)
The Box-and-One power play system is built around your center who plays the mid ice slot. This should be your best decision maker on the ice, someone who is able to catch and dish quick passes as well as place shots accurately on net. Keep in mind that because this system positions your center smack in between most defensive formations, he will probably take a lot of abuse. Center should try to win battle for position position in the slot while your team has control of the puck.
Eichel doesn't have elite Screening&Strength to be regular point man, and doesn't have Range&Accuracy to be a threat from perimeter. So best thing to do is to put him in the middle of the ice and use all of his elite attributes while minimizing his "weaknesses".
Wingers Perimeter Shooter or Power Forward
Your wingers (2 and 3) set up deep in the offensive zone, hovering between the goal line and the bottom of the circles. This system is going to require these players to work in the corners and along the boards, as well as crash the net hard for rebounds, so they should be able to hold their own physically. Your forwards should be fast enough to chase down pucks deep in the zone and maintain possession, finding outlets at the point, around the boards, and most of all to the slot center. From the corner, your wingers can also walk the puck in along the goal line to put it on net. Even if a shot is from a bad angle, deflections can create many more scoring chances in front of the goal, so take your chances when shooting from inside in this formation.
Puckhandling is very important for Wingers. Countering active PK DZ tactics and creating chances from narrow angle both require good puck protection. Perimeter Shooter can skate away from goal and shoot, Power Forward can skate into goal&defender to create havoc.
Point Man Defenders
Point players can shoot more liberally from this formation, because it allows for a greater defensive presence along the blue line. When one of your point players shoots, the other should immediately assume a defensive position in case the shot is deflected by the opposition or they gain possession off a rebound. The shooting player should hold the zone, looking for high deflections and be ready to thwart the opposition from developing a play.
Good option for average Defenders. No need for elite quarterback ability, balanced sides & more reliable counter prevention. Lots of two-way Defenders have good "slapshot" but nothing else above average. So this is a great option for them, don't take risks & execute simple plays while keeping defensive solidity.

1-3-1

Description & illustrations:The 1-3-1 power play is one of the newer power-play formations used by several teams today. Essentially there are two strong sides, with the puck being able to be controlled on either half boards. It is easy to switch sides either up top or behind the net to settle the puck out when under pressure or to create chances. Once again, net presence is critical. The key to success with this formation is for the top three players to focus on shooting or onetiming the puck. This power play is difficult for pressure penalty killing units to defend because of the side-to-side options.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...lightning.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxty2MhdApw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-5P95JbvCk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTXQNR8FePU
http://www.nhlspecialteams.com/blog/...r-play-so-good
Player types, required actions & attributes:
Right and Left Side Half-Boards Players
Set up with the right shot on the left boards and the left shot on the right. These two players are definitely the quarterbacks. Both must be a threat to shoot or fake the shot and pass while also being calm under pressure. They should work the puck up to the high D as number one option, and don’t force plays through the box—often the play through the box will open up after recovering a rebound.
Mid-Ice Point Man
An important strategy for this defenseman is to keep his feet on the blue line to allow more room to make a play or step into a shot. Slide along the line with deception while looking to find an open lane to the net. Quickly work the puck from left to right if the shot isn’t there, and then look to shoot again. Wrist shots to the net are also good, but if there is a chance for a slapshot, use it. In the 1-3-1 setup, the puck should revolve around this player.
Slot Player
This can be a defenseman who slides in or a forward who plays defense and then moves into the slot area. Move into this position once the puck is under control. Depending on whether this player is a right or left shot, from one side he must be ready for a quick release shot and from the other side a shot pass. The shot pass is a play where the outside players shoot to the stick of the slot player for a redirect on the net. The slot player should move around in the space to distract the penalty killers. It is key that this player is ready to support both half-boards players when they are in trouble.
Net Man
The net man, as the name indicates, plays the net area unless support is needed to settle the puck out. He may release to the strong side for a low pass and the potential to make a quick inside play. This is a good strategy, but the player has to read whether the high players are shooting or whether they need a low option. Stay active, and get into shooting lanes at the right time.
Typical plays:
POINT SHOT
HALF-BOARDS SHOT OR CROSS-ICE PASS
INSIDE PLAY
LOW-RELEASE PLAY
Best use:Even though it's a very risky&offensive option (compared to others), TBL's success proved that 1 point+4 forwards in 1-3-1 is a way to go.
NHL historical PP effectiveness
Opponents don't punish their risky style with shorthanded goals, while OZ effectiveness stays among the best.
Team building factors also play the role. It's much easier to find two offensively gifted Defenders & 4 forwards, than to do 4+6. Plus, keeping control of the puck allows best PP unit to save their stamina and play more minutes. So instead of blueline shot->Goalie saves->shift change before FO, 1-3-1 allows to play 5 best offensive players for longer.

Umbrella

https://crossicehockey.com/umbrella-power-play-system/
Description & illustrations: Its main concept is to outman penalty killers in the slot areas so the high forward and two defensemen can move the puck around the offensive zone and attempt shots.
Two of the most important tactics behind a successful Umbrella power play involve players moving the puck to the middle of the ice for slap shots from the point, and working the puck along the half-boards for another option at the point.
The Umbrella features three skaters positioned near the blue line and two forwards stationed near the goal crease to fight for rebounds and screen goalies. It also guards against turnovers and shorthanded breakaways.
Typical plays:
For this example, D1 is a right shot, D2 is a left shot, and F1 is a right shot. Both low players (F2 and F3) slide in and out as a screen and low pass option. Options on the umbrella setup include the following:
F1 to D1 to D2 for a one-timer (number 1)
F1 to D1 to D2 and back to F1 for a one-timer (number 2)
F1 to D1 to D2 and back to D1 for a one-timer (number 3)
F1 to D1 to D2 and then low to F2, who can pass to F3 or back to D1 (number 4).

Spread

Description & illustrations:With two strong sides, it has more of a spread look to it, and like the 1-3-1 it is easy to switch sides either up top or behind the net. Once again, net presence is critical. It is important that the two defensemen up top be prepared to shoot. When this happens, they will find that seams will open up for the forwards down low. This power play is also difficult for pressure penalty-killing units because of the side-to-side options. The spread power play can easily be twisted into an overload setup and back again.
Player types, required actions & attributes:
Two Blue Line Defensemen
The two defensemen on the blue line need to keep their feet on the line to create more space between them and the penalty killers. They should be about dot width apart. Once the puck is moved up top, always quickly relay it from D to D to spread out the penalty killers. Work the puck from left to right while looking to shoot. The defensemen may slide along the line with deception to find an open lane to the net. If there isn’t much time or space, wrist shots to the net are also good.
Right and Left Side Half-Boards Players
These players set up and operate in a similar way to the 1-3-1 power play, with the left shot on the right boards and the right shot on the left boards. Both players should be a threat to shoot or fake the shot and pass. Stay calm under pressure. The number one option should be to work the puck up to the high Ds especially when being pressured low. Don’t force plays through the box—often the play through the box will open up after recovering a rebound.
Net Man
With most of these power-play setups the net man’s job description doesn’t change much. This player should stay at the net unless support is needed to settle the puck out but may release to either side for a low pass. Stay active, and get into shooting lanes at the right time. Support the half-boards players when they are in trouble and under pressure by sliding out to the side of the net. To settle the puck out when pressured down low, simply relay the puck behind the net to the opposite half-boards player.
Typical plays:
D-TO-D POINT SHOT
D-TO-D AND BACK
D-TO-D CROSS-SEAM PASS
DOUBLE-SEAM PASS
LOW-RELEASE PLAY

Slot Set

Description & illustrations: Similar formation to Overload. But F3 (low walk) doesn't come to cycle & create overloads, but stays in slot area. So between him and Center, there's always at least 1 player in slot area.
Player types, required actions & attributes:
Low Walk Player (F3 garbage collector)
Less pass/skate oriented and more of a garbage collector/power forward type.
Best use:
Same side elite Winger+Defender pair. SJS is example:
Labanc/Hertl as Winger/Half-Board playmaker
Burns/Karlsson as Defender/Strong Side Pointman playmaker
Kane garbage collector/Low Walk
Thornton as passing screener
https://youtu.be/57fdC9naZHc?t=53
https://youtu.be/57fdC9naZHc?t=499
https://youtu.be/57fdC9naZHc?t=526
Couture as Sliding Back Side "Defender"

Motion 2-3

Description & illustrations:This is the same as the goal line 2-3 setup but with motion to create confusion. Penalty killers become so good at staying in lanes that some movement might be needed. D1 and D2 are both left shots in these two options:
1. F1 to D1 to D2. After faking a shot, D2 slides flat across the ice (left side). D1 moves behind D2. D2 can shoot, pass down to F1 or F2 for a quick shot, or pass back to D1 for a one-timer.
2. F1 to D1 and back to F1 (right side). D1 skates to the front of the net. D2 slides across, and F2 moves up high. F1 can pass to D2 or F2 for a one-timer, to F3 on the back side, or to D1 sliding in.

Behind the Net

https://thecoachessite.com/behind-ne...ven-analytics/
NHL teams have largely adopted the 1-3-1 as their default power play formation. While this is certainly dangerous due to the multitude of passing and shooting options it presents, it is also a look teams have seen before and know how to defend. They may not always be successful, but teams know what to expect.
Goaltenders aren’t a fan of Behind the Net style and so it can have an impact later on in the game as well.
The findings are simple: shots that are created from passes originating below the goal line have a significant relationship to future scoring. How can you build a power play around this offensive concept?
Whereas in a 1-3-1 if the centre of the ice is clogged, it limits the offensive team’s options except to go back to the point or if the net player pops out, this formation offers a quick switch to immediately put pressure on the weak side forward in a 1v2 situation.
Now, you may run into a team that runs a strong and aggressive penalty kill and does it extremely well. A Czech press can be difficult to break down, but moving the play down is exactly where we want to run this power play. We can actually use the penalty kill’s pressure against itself by encouraging players to exchange responsibilities.
Side Switch
Finally, with the puck coming so close to the net, the strong side defenceman could jump out to pressure the puck. Now, this may leave the offensive C open at the net for a quick chance. Let’s assume the penalty-killing defenceman cuts that off.
The puck carrier now has one player committed to him and another trailing the play (L). A quick pass to the LH opens up options.
Here, LH is reading if a jam play is open at the net. If not, then what is the penalty-killing defenceman closest to him doing? If they are cutting off the pass to the strong side D, is C open? The opposite?
If D cuts off C and R cuts off the strong side D, can the weak side offensive D beat L back to the slot? With enough quick movement and the momentary occupation of both L and D by RH, we can turn the penalty killing pressure around and use it against them.
Having the puck carrier and defencemen exchange both on and off the puck can create new looks. Having the centre exchange with a player below the goal line or with a defenceman will confuse defenders.
A stationary power play is easier to defend, so make the penalty killers defend the entire offensive zone by using all of the space available. Furthermore, playing below the goal line forces the penalty killers to constantly be looking around. A traditional 1-3-1 keeps everything in front of the goalie, which is to the defending team’s advantage.
Player types, required actions & attributes:
Center Playmaker
Best use:

PK

For PK, quality is most important. There are many global defensive styles that can be successful (in regards to drawing penalties) but PK quality is always important. That's why there's almost no correlation of PK # with overall defense (goals allowed), but PK% is obviously strongly correlated.
Outwork the power play. Most PP units will relax to a degree because of the extra man, so be prepared to significantly outwork them.
Win face-offs. Possession of the puck and a quick clear will not only force the PP unit to go back 200 feet (61 m) for the puck but will also frustrate the PP unit, which is what you want.
Talk. Communication improves positioning and awareness.
No big hits. Never hit on the PK, as tempting as it is; you should only “bump and run.” It is a priority to keep your feet moving and pressure the opponent. Making a big hit takes players out of the play which you can’t afford when already down one player.
Have an active stick. Keep it on the ice at all times and in the right passing lane.
Get body position in shooting lanes, and know when to go down to block shots. Blocking shots can be a big boost to the penalty kill.
Effective PK Traits Forwards
Effective PK Traits Defensemen
PK: Keys to remember

PK Forecheck

In reality, the PK unit rarely disrupts the PP breakout deep in the opposition’s own end; therefore, it is important on the forecheck to position yourself through the neutral zone so that you are able to pressure
the entry.

Tandem Forecheck

Tandem Pressure is a more aggressive style of forecheck pressure allowing the forwards freedom to angle and press the puck carrier. This style puts more pressure on the opponent in the neutral zone but can spread out the 4 penalty killers over two zones.
F1 angles and pressures the opposition, trying to get there as soon as the opposing player picks up the puck. F1 recovers after forcing a pass or stays in the battle if he creates a scramble. F2 angles in on the first pass, making sure he is in position to get back while trying to force the player to unload the puck. D1 and D2 maintain a tight gap, making sure they are aware of any stretch players. F1 fills in the mid-ice lane, while F2 stays up in the middle, skating backward or angling forward and trying to force the entry to one side.

D1 confronts the puck carrier, at the blue line if possible, while F1 goes after any pucks chipped in. F2 holds the slot. D2 retreats to the net or as an option for F1 to bump the puck to. If the PP unit carries the puck deeper, then D1 confronts the puck carrier at the half boards, and F1 seals up top. F2 holds the slot area and D2 the net area. If the puck is dumped in, then D2 goes hard to the dump-in. F1 and D1 also go to the puck. F2 holds the slot area.

Retreating Box

The Retreating Box (or the Backing-up Box) keeps all puck possession to the outside and allows angled pressure and no cross ice passing.
Anaheim Retreating Box into Box DZ example
What happens when opp tries cross ice passing
The Retreating Box works well against power plays who prefer to dump the puck into the zone because it keeps the PK D further back into the zone and therefore gives them a better chance at puck retrieval. The Retreating Box does allow the power play more possession entries but never through the middle. In other words opponents can skate with speed on the outside of the box and maintain possession of the puck until challenged deeper in the zone.
F1 forces the opposition if he can and then skates backward up one side of the ice in line with the dots. F2 skates backward up the other side. D1 and D2 tighten up in mid-ice. All four players skate backward together. Once the opposing puck carrier crosses the blue line, F1 or F2 forces that player to his backhand. Therefore, if the player is a left shot, then F2 forces him toward F1. F1 tries to deny the pass back to where he came from.

F2 or D1 tries to confront the entry at the blue line. D2 goes after pucks chipped in, and F1 holds mid-ice. If the PP unit skates the puck in, then D1 or D2 confronts the entry at the half boards. F1 and F2 hold the top positions. If the PP unit dumps the puck in, then D1 and D2 both go to the puck. The closest forward tightens up, and the other forward holds the slot.

Passive 1-3

The Passive 1-3 backs up in unison and tries to hold a close gap in the neutral zone. This formation is more passive but has the same goal of getting the power play to dump the puck into the zone (taking the puck out of their hands) and giving the 4 penalty killers an opportunity to retrieve and ice the puck. This alignment is primarily set up to confront the PP unit at the blueline and force a turnover or dump in.
F1 applies pressure only when he is sure he can get the puck and clear it or can force the other player as he picks up the puck. F1 now retreats with a tight gap, initially skating backward and then forces the puck carrier to one side. F2 stays in mid-ice behind F1, also skating backward with a tight gap. D1 and D2 stay up; they need to have a tight gap and confidence to be tight in the neutral zone. They also must be aware of any stretch players getting behind them. D1 or D2 must attempt to confront the entry at the blueline by standing up the puck carrier and forcing a dump in.

This is a similar setup to the tandem press. D1 confronts the puck carrier at the blue line if possible, while F2 goes after any pucks chipped in. F1 holds the slot. D2 retreats to the net or as an option for F2 to bump the puck to. If the PP unit carries the puck deeper, then D1 confronts the puck carrier at the half boards and F1 seals up top. F2 holds the slot area and D2 the net area. If the puck is dumped in, then D2 goes hard to the dump-in. F2 and D1 also go to the puck. F1 holds the slot area.

Aggressive Press

The Same-Side Press forecheck forces the opponents entry towards one side of the ice where all the defending pressure can be applied. This system allows both forwards to angle the direction of the play and allows that strong side defenseman to step up and make the blue line hard to enter. Teams who move the puck well laterally in the neutral zone may have a chance to break this forecheck but the Same-Side Press makes it difficult to enter on the strong-side.
F1 and F2 wait in the neutral zone for the opposition to break out. F1 angles the puck carrier to one side with a good stick, preventing passes back. F2 angles across to the same side and goes after the pass or the puck carrier. D1 and D2 tighten up in mid-ice. D2 is ready to challenge passes to the far side, and D1 is ready to retrieve pucks dumped in.

F1 angles the puck carrier to the outside. F2 tries to force the entry at the blue line or force the puck carrier to dump the puck. D2 goes after any pucks chipped in. With pressure from F1, F2, and D2, the PP usually cannot skate the puck in unless a pass is made to the wide side. On dump-ins, D1 goes to the corner with support fromF1 and D2. F2 holds the slot.

0-4

The Forwards Wide approach offers token pressure up ice and creates 4 player alignment across the defending blue line. This forces the opposition to chip or dump the puck into the zone and accomplishes its goal of “taking the puck out of the power plays hands” where the PK now has an equal chance of retrieving the puck. The Forwards Wide approach works well against power plays who prefer to carry the puck into the zone on entries because pressure can be applied on that puck carrier to turn over the puck.
F1 angles and pressures the opposition, trying to get there as soon as the opposing player picks up the puck. F1 then moves back and takes the wide lane while skating forward. F2 swings and takes the opposite wide lane, also skating forward. D1 and D2 stay up in the middle; they need to have a tight gap and confidence to be tight in the neutral zone.

D1 and D2 stay up in the middle where the PP unit will try to bring the puck (figure 10.14 If the pass is made to the wide lane, then F1 and F2 challenge the outside lanes. On the dum in, F2 and D2 go to the corner along with D1. F1 supports the net.

PK DZ Coverage

While in the defensive zone, the penalty-killing unit moves from “active contain” to “contain pressure” to “all-out pressure.” This is based on the reads of when to pressure. Every coach will have a varying degree of pressure he is comfortable with. Some coaches make a simple rule for their players to read when to press and when not to press. The rule is called “eyes” and “backsides.” If your player sees that the opposing player with the puck is looking directly at them they move into a more passive “containing” mode. If the player see an opponent’s “backside or number” then they apply maximum pressure. Obviously when a player is turned to get the puck and not facing mid-ice (backside and numbers) he is not ready to make a play and therefore can be pressured harder. Remember, once one player moves to pressure, each subsequent pass must be pressured. The penalty killers should assert more pressure when they know the puck carrier will have a difficult time controlling the puck and making a good play.

Press

When O2 receives a pass from O4 or O1, D1 pressures him up the boards. D2 is ready to take away any return passes to O1. F1 takes away the passing lane to O4. F2 stays in the slot, aware of passing options to the back side. Players should keep their sticks in the most dangerous passing lane which could be to the slot player or backside D.
Press
San Jose's Aggressive PK

Diamond

F1 pressures or stays in O4’s shooting lane as he slides with the puck across the blue line. D1 moves up slightly, ready to go after O2 if the pass goes there. F2 sinks back into the diamond and is ready to get in the shooting lane of passes to O5. D2 plays the net. Stay in this formation as long as O4 continues to stay in the middle of the blue line.
Diamond

Collapse to the Net

If the puck does end up behind your net, then all players should sink in tight. Be aware of players moving in, and have an active stick to take away passing lanes as the puck carrier moves out. D1 or D2 may hold their position or force the puck carrier to one side.
Collapse to the Net

Wedge

Wedge or Triangle+1
As you can see on the chart, the Wedge +1 situates three collapsing players in the slot in a triangle formation. The extra man (F) is free to run around and create havoc along the perimeter.
Dave Bolland Shorthanded Goal vs. Canucks 5/11/10
When the puck is moved across ice, the roaming forward can take a spot in the triangle and and the left forward can go create havoc.
For the skaters in the triangle, their role is similar to that of the Box strategy in that they must contain the slot. The one difference between this setup and the Box is that the weakside player has to always be responsible for the backdoor plays. Since this formation is always rotating, every skater needs to be aware of the responsibilities of every position they rotate into. There’s a lot of thinking involved.

Basic Box

Basic Box
Hockey Penalty Kill: Simple Box
The Simple Box isn’t all that different than your basic low zone collapse formation during 5-on-5 hockey. The idea is to simply shut down the middle of the ice and eliminate prime scoring chances.
This strategy is most often used against the Overload, where you are basically allowing the other team to have the puck so long as they are along the perimeter. Using this strategy is more about having good stick work and not chasing after the puck carrier.
Another main difference in this strategy is the importance of having the weakside players keeping their heads on a swivel. The biggest threat to score is the opposing player who’s positioned at the far post, so defenders must pay attention to where this player is in order to cut off his passing lane.

Aggressive Box

AGGRESSIVE BOX TO DIAMOND PENALTY KILL ROTATION
Anaheim vs Nashville PK
Wild PK vs Tampa Bay

Rotation

PK Attacking

Counterattack

Counterattack implies all player(or at least forwards) committing to skating into OZ with attacking intent. It's quite hard to do after intensive defending, so there need to be some incentives or factors to do it:
Best factor is speed advantage, which allows forwards to outskate opp's defenders.
Another is unstoppable puckhandler, who is hard to stop 1vs1 for opp's defender.
So one player can combine both of these, but skill level required & wasting him on PK are arguments against.
Speaking of skill required, last factor is PK unit full of two-way stars. Then you can be ballsy enough to actually attack 4vs5. Again, it's better to do so with quick players with stamina. If you build your team to be top heavy, then counterattacking makes more sense. Because strong PK unit followed by fillers should waste time and not waste breath and change while countering. With 1st and 2nd doing all the heavy lifting, you can counter with both and split their time equally.

Puck Possession

Penalty kill of the year by the Ottawa Senators

Dump and Retreat

Even though it's a less enticing option, it allows your team to shift change. For attacking option, your play might look like this:
1) Intensive defending 4vs5
2) High tempo counter or puck protection in physically demanding battle.
3) You lose possession of puck and now your shift change can lead to odd man break for PP unit.
So unless you have guys with elite stamina, this can be very exhausting & risky. Dump will allow safe shift change and high intensity level where it counts - defending 4vs5. So if you have two good defensive PK units and want to split their time 50/50 its a good idea to avoid attacking options.
3vs5 & 3vs4 even more demanding, so you will have to split time and give them rest. So dump & retreat is even better for 3 man PK.

[ExeR]

Player Roles

Speedy Forward
Speedy Forward, not Dangler example
Importance of using him as entrance option, skating OZ tactics

Def Winger Less Pressure

Higher Tempo but Lower Attacking Defender

Shutdown Defender
Results
Can be selfish & aggressive and still be successful.

Agitator/Enforcer hidden value
Since players that you pick Enforcer roles for are never good enough to play well in 1st/2nd line, there is no need to worry about +/- of their line. Doesn't sound good at first, but there is a positive here that can be used

Presence of "Enforcer" allows us to have protection against line matching:
Very often well constructed 3rd/4th lines get exposed, because they are not suited to beat stronger line in 2 way game. So if opp focuses on matching 1st-vs-3rd and you play them a lot, your Cinderella attacking 3rd with high +/- can turn into pumpkin in away playoff games.
Against enforcer opp has to think twice if he wants to put his star wingers anywhere near boards. We don't expect anything from Enforcer's line and they don't play too much, so opp can't truly match his 1st against this line, it will be 50% of their playing time at most. So not only opp's star players can get into trouble, but they won't be able to get enough playing time to capitalize on skill advantage.

Example of full player analysis

M.Tkachuk
Attacking & Backchecking: Lacks speed to play both ends and there is a significant edge for offensive ability. So it's clear that focus will be on Attacking. Argument against maxing Attacking is that he has
weakness with puckhandling part of his offensive arsenal. As for backchecking, average stamina is argument for mininmizing it. But he will improve physically & he doesn't play heavy 1st line minutes for me, so he can handle it.

Aggression & Hitting: Physical playstyle is big part of his game. Goal is to pick best ratio of positive effect to PIM. Two main factors are:
1) Is he part of PK unit? (bad idea to have PK units w/o key players).
2) Is he expendable?
Answer to 2 & vulnerable temperament make increasing agro counterproductive. He is key offensive player, so we want him helping that way instead of trying to fight everybody like Agitator w/o other skills.So no reason to decrease anything, but it's better to protect him from being glorified Enforcer by not increasing anything. If he had skating & better hitting then it would be much easier to unleash him.

Pressure: He is slow and not good enough for increasing pressure in general. But pressure is heavily dependent on unit style & tactic. Because of weak positioning best option should be active DZ tactic with trap/pressure near board (half-ice overload) or passive with static positioning (strict zonal) so that he can stand near opp's defender and not ruin defensive teamplay.
Tempo: Pretty obvious lower tempo for him. Good passing & teamplay allow to hide this weakness in "passing" tactical options.
Passing:

[Rookee]

Hey ExeR,

Thank you a lot for compiling all this information. It has been incredibly helpful for myself and a couple other in getting up to speed with some other GMs for online play. Understanding how tactics can work fluidly or not with others has been a great help, so thank you for that.

I have a question regarding your google doc in the main post, the screenshot and "attribute combinations". Is the information available in the screenshot able to weighed as a measurement on how to deploy the player as well? I ask because I see a value for Active defense, passive, physical and enforcer. That would make me to assume - let's use the first two players, Weber and Dumba - that Weber is best deployed with a low tempo (Low quickness & sprint) UNIT in mind + a more physical based personal tactics (higher pressure + hitting & perhaps aggression) and make him pass right away whereas Dumba is better utilized on a higher tempo UNIT & higher pressure + lower aggression personal tactics and allow him to keep the puck a bit more to distribute. Would any of this be correct?

[ExeR]

Originally Posted by Rookee

I have a question regarding your google doc in the main post, the screenshot and "attribute combinations". Is the information available in the screenshot able to weighed as a measurement on how to deploy the player as well? I ask because I see a value for Active defense, passive, physical and enforcer. That would make me to assume - let's use the first two players, Weber and Dumba - that Weber is best deployed with a low tempo (Low quickness & sprint) UNIT in mind + a more physical based personal tactics (higher pressure + hitting & perhaps aggression) and make him pass right away whereas Dumba is better utilized on a higher tempo UNIT & higher pressure + lower aggression personal tactics and allow him to keep the puck a bit more to distribute. Would any of this be correct?

1) Those ratings are examples. I'm sure weights of attributes are not optimal and will change depending on engine version. Their key value is to give understanding & scale. So you have to practice to be able to "work" with them.
2) Main use of ratings for me is to get floor(worst acceptable level)/cap(more than enough) or to get tiers. Tiers help with "moneyballing" and with unique situations that will appear when you start combining abilities(attribute combos). F.e. active defense only works at very good level. Defenders in FHM6 need physicals, but even with physicals you only want to play active defense after certain floor of ability...
3) ...that's because there is fouling & opposition added to the mix. Below floor players will foul more & against elite puckhandlers even best defenders might struggle in long run. So top center in the league (elite passing+puckhandling+scoring) will punish active defenders that leave position. No passing on opp's Center and all of the sudden it's much better idea. He might keep puck well but his scoring will be shut down.
But you still might want to actively defend even vs McDavid...
4) ...because there are tactical considerations. That's where player-unit & vice versa dynamic relationship is created. That's why I tried to provide examples, because there are 100 moving parts and you can't provide formulas for success or rules in most cases.
Sometimes you just have to gamble to have shot at success(playoff series win). Sometimes there's no other way to defend as unit, so "best for particular player" becomes irrelevant. Yes, Weber won't be able to play with tempo, he will be trailing behind the play because of weak skating.But it doesn't mean his attacking should be decreased, or others should wait for him to arrive. Pick tactics to keep him deep (safety on forecheck, blueline shot taker in OZ etc) and let quick puckhandler+scorer Centers attack w/o him. If quick attack or counter fails he will be there for 2nd wave shot opportunity. That's why Caufield+wing playmaker+Weber worked great for me in MTL save. Even though Caufield & Weber played on almost opposite tempos. Aggression & physicality described before.
Main difference for Dumba will be better effectiveness of active def (skating, but rating accounts for it if I remember correctly) and tactical options available for him. Descriptions of breakouts & NZ entry have info about this, so he will be able to help during quick attacks (playing with similar tempo as forwards) and execute demanding breakout/NZ options. He won't be easy target for pressure from opponent, so you use him tactically and make him pass less as you mentioned. For pressure on defense again unit needs & tactical considerations (don't forget opponent) first. Dumba himself will be good for it, it's logical. But what's the point of being lone pressurer? Or what's the point of pressuring McDavid w/o physicality? No matter how fitting Dumba is for active def, McDavid will deal with it. So think about unit needs. In Minny I tried pairing him with Spurgeon, it worked great as "active"&mobile unit vs Edmonton. But then SJS bruisers & imbalanced defenders overloaded slot and I lost every time after Koivu retired and I couldn't play sagging zone with him being better slot defender than actual defenders.

Hope that explains it. Think more about player-unit relationship, always about opponent (what he/you will be able to do) and tactical options. Tactics are described with examples, so first two should be a priority.