Team Pensblog Mission Statement

Team Pensblog members are first and foremost Fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins and avid readers of thepensblog.com.
Team Pensblog members play the game the way hockey is supposed to be played and we have fun while doing so.


Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Black List Details

This list will be updated as we come across cheaters.

1nFaMoUs
- Abbrev: 1nF Jerseys: Washington Capitals - Div 1 Rank 4 - 584-59-26*

Flying Hindus - Abbrev: WWF Jerseys: Filthydelphia Phantoms - Div 1 Rank 35 - 526-59-15* (glitches non stop, accuses us of juicing? Says my 86 speed and Shoe's 80 speed was 95. Right.)

Grocery Store Beer - Abbrev: GSB Jerseys: Rochester Amerks - 3 goals on 5 shots - fast as hell ridiculous shots. dicks. the usual.

Montreal Wolves - Div 3 Rank 24 - 304-96-15*

Pure Garbage - Div 1 Rank 39 - 427-33-17* Abbrev: 1pg Jerseys: St. Louis Blues (juicers)

Purple Cobraz - Gay - Div 1 Rank 13 - 529-47-17* Jerseys: Manchester Monarchs

seansheans mom - Div 2 Rank 48 - 268-78-12* Jerseys: San Jose Sharks (hardcore glitchers)

THE MOB - Div 1 Rank 49 - 994-349-69* Abbrev: MOB Jerseys: Lappeenranta Saipa(quit out against teams better than themselves)

The Vultures - Div 3 Rank 92 - 250-126-30* Abbrev: VUL Jerseys: Toronto Maple Leafs (juicers, coktar had 2 goals in the game I played against them, I had a hat trick and I scored from my own end on their awful goalie)

UHL Elite - Div 1 Rank 20 - 1199-177-51*

Well Worth it - Div 4 Rank 72 - 430-159-43* Jerseys: Nashville Predators (glitchers)

XxDREAM TEAMxX - Div 1 Rank 9 - 1134-160-48* Abbrev: xXx Jerseys: North Stars (Juicers and glitchers! Fun!)

*Record obtained though cheating/bitching out.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Black List

I've added a new section on the left that we'll update with teams that "cheese" or glitch or what have you. These are the ones off the top of my head. Post a comment with any that you come across.

Latest Update News From EA

"Hey everyone… just wanted to drop a quick note before the holidays.

As you all know NHL 08 won seven Sports Game of the Year awards and now NHL 09 is on its way to eclipsing that mark. As of last week, NHL 09 has won 6 awards for Sports Game of the Year including the prestigious Spike TV award where we edged out Madden and Fifa.

NHL 10 is now fully in production and I’m sure that you’re going to love what we have planned. I can’t go into details quite yet but I can say that we’ve been reading your feedback and incorporating as much as we can into our plans.

The EA Sports Hockey League continues to run strong although we’ve been made aware of a cheat that allows users to boost their attributes and gain an unfair advantage. This cheat is undermining the integrity of the EASHL. We’re currently exploring all of our options. We will have an announcement early in the new year that will disclose our next steps. For now, we will leave it to the GM’s to police their teams.

Hope everyone has a great holidays.

Sean (Ramjamsingh)"


NOTE: The 99 attribute glitch is a cheat. Even though I know none of our players use this cheat, I have to warn any TPB AAA players found using this exploit will be removed from the team.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Congratulations

Congratulations to jrkrush2112 and zero2113 for achieving their A- status long enough to earn their legend card and extra attribute points.

I also earned the A- after 419 games...

The best way that I have found to get the A- is to play very very good defense with few turnovers or to play center and win over 65% of the faceoffs for ten games in a row while averaging a point a game.


Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Single Defenseman Tips

Working with a computer Defenseman can be tricky. They tend to get burnt so you can't rely on them. You kinda have to pretend it does not exist most of the time.

2 on 2 situations with a computer D is actually a 2 on 1 situation. That means you have to take the open man and leave the goalie take the puck carrier. I try to make a quick "faux" move towards the puck carrier very early to either force a pass or hopefully push him out towards the boards. Then I go back to the open man to take away the pass.

I found the best place for the computer D is in front of the net to help stop the cross crease passes. Again the D is easy to get around so I often set my defensive strategy to protect the net.

The computer D is a great back door play when you don't have a passing lane up ice.

"Streaking" plays are more successful at times with a computer D because the player who's streaking can call for the pass. A human player will have a problem passing to the streaking player because the AI influences the pass to the closest man.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Tips and tricks, etc.

In light of hearing that we've slid down the slippery slopes of mediocrity (division 12!), I have compiled a list of things to do to not suck :-)

Most of this post is complements of crveza81, perhaps with a few comments of my own afterwards.


"Rebounds are the best way to score. It's a lot like the real NHL, to be honest.

Cross crease passes work well, but I agree, doing it all game is retarded. In real life, the goalie would cut off 98% of those passes, even if the other team is too retarded to adapt and play defense.

Shots still work, if you place them right. Top corner doesn't work to often, too easy for the goalie to glove it. Going 6-hole, over the pad, under the glove or blocker works quite well.

Also, if you have time, which isn't very often, you can do a little fake with the skill stick, just move the puck a bit, and get the goalie to go down, and rip it upstairs. That's not the glitch where you walk in from the corner or anything.

Also, the standard glitch stuff, like getting the goalie off the post, etc, but I hate doing that.

Oh, also, using defensemen as screens works quite well... not talking about blasting it from the point when there's 6 bodies in front, those almost never get through (rightfully so), but if you're on a 1-on-1, or find the puck in the slot, shooting it through the legs works quite well. It gets blocked sometimes, and sometimes the goalie makes the save anyways, but time it right, and you might sneak one by him.

When playing with computer players, we don't all need to just auto-call for the pass the second they get the puck. I'm guilty of this as well, and it certainly leads to a ton of turnovers. It just seems like an instinct for each person to call for it, even if it makes no sense for them to receive a pass, and it's not always the best play.

The other thing, is breakouts. I think, the way some teams forecheck and pick off passes, and most specifically, the way teams line up at the blue line, backcheck, etc, I think we need to move it fast.

The D needs to make a fast pass to a forward, but that means the forwards need to be in position. General breakouts in the NHL start with the wings on the boards at the hash marks, and usually the center curls low in the zone. The d-man plays the puck to an open winger, the curls in that direction, towards the puck, and the winger can then skate it, or dish it off to the center, who generally will be skating fast.

If we can do that, we can avoid running into 2-on-2s where we have trouble gaining the blue line."

Solid post.

Some of my own thoughts:

When the forwards carry the puck into the offensive zone, one of a few things usually happens:

1) The forward with the puck somehow manages to feed it through 3 defenders to the other guy streaking to the net, scoring chance.

Analysis: awesome when it works. However, it rarely ever works if the situation is not right.

2) The forward with the puck tries to pass it through three defenders, and is easily picked off. The opposing team's forwards streak down the ice, while our defenders are streaking into the offensive zone. Easy 2 on 1 or 2 on 0 for the opposing team.

Analysis: happens too many times in a game.

3) The forward with the puck (usually on the wing) drops the puck back to the point on the strong side. From there, the defender either makes a good play, or immediately winds up for a soon-to-be-blocked-breakaway-opportunity-for-the-opposing-forward slapshot.

Analysis: defenders, I understand that you'd like to have a little contribution to the team's offense. It's fun to score goals and get points. However, remember that your #1 priority is to stop opposing goals from happening. It's not a glamorous job, nobody ever said it was. Your greatest contribution to the team comes from being solid in the defensive zone, which includes making good breakout passes. If you play good defense, the offense will come.

In a lot of games I play, there's times where I know that passing back to the point is the best option, but I won't make the pass if I don't trust the defender back there. Too many times have I passed back, only for the defender to turn the puck over for an easy breakaway goal for the other team. If you want the puck, be certain to make a good decision with it.

In addition, there's no need to constantly call for the puck at the point. Point, point, point, point, point... yes I see you at the point on the other side of the ice. Just because there is nobody in a 10 feet vicinity of you, does NOT mean you are open. There are most likely forwards cutting off the passing lanes like they should. If you are open and I trust that you will make a good decision with the puck, I will pass.

Another thing I shouldn't even have to say: defenders should not be leading the rush or streaking down the ice on a defensive zone faceoff. But I digress.

4) I don't remember the 4th. But believe me, it was going to be good.


Another note to defenders: the defender on the weak side should be the last one coming in the offensive zone. There's no need to get there ASAP, as it is most likely that you will not be open when entering the zone. Staying back and trailing the play ensures that at least 1 defender will be back in the case that we turn the puck over in the offensive zone. Again, it's not glamorous, but it's good, smart hockey.

I admit, I've been trashing defensemen too much. They don't deserve all the hate. In the few games I've played D, I wasn't very good. It's not easy, and you get little credit for the good you do. Forwards deserve some attention:

crveza made great points about the breakout. No need to repeat them. Some points about moving the puck in the zone:
  • Everyone loves to score goals. Where do you go to score goals? the front of the net. Where do the 2 forwards without the puck go when the puck enters the zone? the front of the net. How many do we need there? just 1. It's not necessary to have 2. The first one there is okay in front, but the trailing forward needs to get open elsewhere. The points are usually off limits to forwards, so where else to go? Behind the net is a great option. Cycling the puck around is a great way to get defenders moving around, which leads to more open space.
  • The cross crease is a great way to score goals in this game. It's a high risk, high reward play that often isn't worth the risk. If you can, take some time to assess the situation. You might find that you have more time than you thought. There should be a few choices once you're in the zone:
There should be a defenseman open behind you.
There should be a forward open somewhere. If the pass across isn't open, the other forward should have found a way to get open.
Putting the puck to the net is never a bad idea either.


Yada, yada, yada. Can't think of anything else at the moment.

Division 14... Discuss... ting

Please refrain from playing like the Islanders.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Apple Juice is Delicious

I juice. You juice. We all juice. In one form or another everybody juices.

My juice of preference is apple juice although orange juice is a close second.

However, last night my fellow amigos and I were accused of juicing after dominating the first 4.5 minutes of an EASHL game. I admit it... I had a bottle of apple juice with me while playing the game... See the first piece of evidence Ex. A. If that's juicing then I'm guilty.

Anyway some background information first. Syniper, WookieNaas002 (see Ex. B & C), zarley zalapski, and I found ourselves playing another team of 4. Cool.
The puck drops and zarley of course wins the faceoff. We proceed to dictate play for the next 4 minutes with the other team not even getting a shot on goal. Zarley made a great pass to a wide open me and I perform a carefully planned and flawlessly executed spin move in the slot (read: I accidently spun instead of shooting into the open net.) which resulted in a low shot to the far post. The goalie kicks the puck out right onto Wookie's tape who buries it top shelf.

I was stunned. Zarley was laughing histarically. Syniper was probably tripping somebody in celebration. They were also clearly stunned and they left like bitches. So I proceed to message the 4 of them "Dicks."

Syniper then gets the messages back as usual in which they accused us of glitching, juicing, and sucking. So the war is on and messages are flying back and forth. They continue to call us juicers which prompts me to dust off the laptop to look up this juicing concept. It's good for kidney/colon detoxification.

We looked up the team (THE MOB... how original) and they were a Division 1 team ranked 67th. Their record is 805-331-64*. That record gets an asterisk because they decide to only play the games they can glitch uncontestedly in. Therefore they quit against teams that aren't half retarded.

So after many humorous and illogical messages from the other side, one of their players apologized and explained juicing. It is apparently a great way to make homemade fruit drinks and a way to glitch your players into having 99 stats in everything. Gay. Now clearly this team glitches due to the fact that their top player has 1120 goals in 901 games. Wonderful human being KC THE PRODIGEY has 898 goals in 617 games but they bitch at us about scoring a legitimate goal? Give me a break. We would have beat them any day of the week.

When a 5'6'' grinder scores his 16th career goal and 29th career point in 50 games... you aren't as good as you think you are.


And one backstrom moment to send you off. Syniper leads the team in backstroms and he turns in a solid performance here as well. But he's as dependable as it gets on the backend and you'd be hard pressed to find someone better:

easports world was not cooperating so i had to use this format

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Defensive Hockey ( After Update )

Defensive Hockey Equals Successful Hockey!

The New Goal Line Exploits

Players are attempting to work the puck deep in order to attack the sides of the nets.
  • Players attempt to skate along the goal line and shoot top shelf as soons as they reach the net. The goalie often falls to stack the pads leaving top shelf vulnerable.
  • Players attempt to skate along the goal line and then curl up right before the net. The shot is short side because a comp goal tends to come off the post for a brief moment.
  • Players attempt to do wrap-around shots or the even more effective.. "slap-arounds." A slap-around is when a player curls around to the front corner of the net and does a quick top shelf/ short side shot.
  • Cross crease is fair play but often is exploited by legends. Playmakers with high passing rating is very successfully at passing to a sniper who camps low corner slot.

Defending These Exploits

Entering the Defensive Zone


Defencemen:
Most cases the D should be forcing the play to the boards. It is important that the D stay in between the carrier and the net, If player is coming down left wing, try to stay between 4-5 o'clock.

Wingers:
If you find yourself chasing, attempt to work towards the middle. Do not attack from behind. Work towards the slot side of the face-off circle. This allows for a quick power turn towards the boards for and outlet pass or to intercept a poke check.

Centers:
Attack the puck carrier. Try not to chase, attempt to take away angles and outlet pass.



Defending Deep in the Zone

Defencemen:
It is important that the puck side D stay in between the puck carrier and the net. The other Defenceman will need to be ready to properly time a body check on the open man in front of the net. Be careful!!! A early body check does not give you enough time to recover if the person you are attacking has good balance and offensive awareness. If you want to use block shot to stop a pass, make sure you are not in position to deflect the puck in. I advise against using the steal pass option because it often fails. Warning... Both defenceman should never be behind the net.

Wingers:
Puck side wingers should try stay in the circle area to take away passing lanes and also be open for outlet pass. If puck carrier manages to approach the net, you may need to attack. The opposing winger should to be ready to properly time a body check in front of the net. Be careful!!! A early body check does not give you enough time to recover if the person you are attacking has good balance and offensive awareness. The opposing wing should be aware of the puck carrier who attempts the wrap around by cutting him off behind the net.

Centers:
Centers should be attacking the puck. Go where the puck is going to be... Don't chase. Attempt to trap instead of attacking at the same angle.


Overall:
Stay in your positions. Take away passing lanes. Take out the campers before they get the pass in the slot. Don't be behind the play... think ahead. Stop the man cutting to the net along the goal line. Pass quick to get the puck out of the zone asap.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Happy Birthdayblog

In order to start off my posting here at tPB AAA in the classiest way possible (as it's sure to degrade quickly), I would like to make a special announcement:



Today happens to be the birthday of
tPB AAA's own Mr Pockets 12.

If you run into him in the next while, please do (not) hesitate to wish him HBD. wooooooooo


Pockets, the team and I scraped some funds together and got you a present. Enjoy!
If

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Cheat Code!

A cheat code was leaked today that allows your online skater to get that elusive A- so you can earn that legend card that is so difficult to achieve. Syniper will leave a testimonial in the comments as to how this code worked for him and now he is fast enough to catch those silly cherry pickers.
The code is:
xe6377uyrwm48frf

> This is the third jersey code nothing more. Sorry to disappoint. <
So just enter that code on the NHL Code entry screen and you will earn all of your attribute points and look great doing it.
But remember there is no E button on the Xbox360 Controller. And while watching porn, coktar does not find the black guys attractive.

Monday, December 1, 2008