Get ready to go head-to-head on Xbox. Get the scoop on the best sports games from Operation Sports Managing Editor Shawn Drotar. In addition to writing previews, reviews, and the site's blog, "Splinters From The Pine," Shawn is proud to provide exclusive coverage for Xbox.com. He can be contacted at shawn@operationsports.com.

Operation Sports:

Change Your Game

By Shawn Drotar

NHL Rivals™ 2004 isn’t just a catchy name—it’s what makes hockey great! Avalanche, Red Wings; Bruins, Rangers; Maple Leafs, Canadiens. The mere mention of any of these great rivalries will make a true hockey fan salivate. There’s energy in the arena, a buzz in the crowd, and adrenaline pumping on the player’s benches. This is why they play …

In NHL Rivals 2004, all the intensity and hard-hitting action of the league’s most exciting and contested rivalries comes home to your Xbox. Welcome to a night on frozen pond!

The realistic flow and feel of NHL hockey is well represented in NHL Rivals 2004, and it may be the first thing you’ll notice when you hit the ice. Burly wingers clog the neutral zone, and hulking blueliners will make you pay for time spent in the opposition’s defensive end. It’ll be difficult to get anything moving through the traffic and forechecking. Such is life in the NHL.

So how do you succeed in NHL Rivals 2004? With patience, grasshopper …

Playing well in Rivals 2004 may require you to cast aside your pre-conceived notions of videogame hockey. This isn’t the old “back-and-forth, fire shots left and right in a shootout” style of hockey. This is the NHL.

This is the NHL.

Start with smart defense. You can’t overreact or commit to a play too quickly. Although checking is fun, exciting, and effective, missing a check can be disastrous; so make sure you have your man lined up before hitting that B button! The X button will let you make a stick check—a safer way to knock the puck away from that pesky forward—get it out of your defensive zone. If all else fails, you can tap the Y button to sacrifice your body and dive in front of an oncoming shot. It’s neither pretty nor particularly healthy for you, but the goal you may save will be worth it, right?

Don’t take your defenseman up the ice to jump into the offense unless a lane is open for him. You’ll leave your goalie defenseless if the puck is stolen, and the opponents in Rivals are smart enough to make you pay dearly for your mistakes.

As the goalie, don’t be afraid to freeze the puck. One of the most common mistakes made among hockey gamers is to pass the puck ahead when surrounded by the opposition. Don’t let your enthusiasm get the best of you because that puck is likely to be fired directly back into your net for an easy goal. Only pass the puck out when it’s completely safe. You’re better served taking the face-off in your own zone than risk giving up the easy steal and score.

Mix up your strategies.

As far as offense goes, diversity is the key to success in NHL Rivals. You must take the puck quickly into the offensive zone and move it around as much as possible in the hopes of getting a better shot. If you simply use one player to take the puck up ice, and try to have him take it all the way to the net, the defense will swarm on him in an instant. If your man’s still standing, he’ll be in position to make the pass. Instead, bring the puck in and cycle it around the zone. Quick wrist shots are highly effective from close to the net, and one-timers provide a great opportunity to catch the goalie and defense unaware for a quick goal. If your defensemen have jumped into the play, don’t be afraid to let them unleash the big slapper, especially if they have a clean shot. Slap shots aren’t nearly as accurate as wrist shots, but they’re very hard to stop due to their high speed. If you have a winger or center positioned near the net, he may end up with an easy goal opportunity. Just make sure that you mix up all your strategies, or the clever A.I. of Rivals will find a hole in your game … and the next thing you’ll hear is the goal siren.

NHL Rivals 2004 simulates NHL hockey like none other, and you’ll need to play like an NHL’er to win. For true blue hockey fans, this is music to the ears. So strap on the pads and get on the ice!

Shawn Drotar is the Managing Editor of OperationSports.com and pens the regular columns “Starting 5” and “Splinters From The Pine”. Shawn is proud to provide exclusive coverage for Xbox.com, and he can be contacted via e-mail at: shawn@operationsports.com.

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