| | Operation Sports:NHL 2005: Offensive Strategy, Part 2
By Shawn Drotar, Managing Editor, OperationSports.com
In the first part of our look at NHL® 2005's new features and how they can be used to increase your scoring output, we discussed the new face-off techniques and formations, and the two different ways to shoot the puck. NHL 2005 has even more ways to get your offense going: the advanced and effective Open Ice Control, manual dekes, and deke passes/fakes; all of which can help you keep your opponents guessing, and give you a better chance to score the game-winning goal. Let's look at these techniques in detail. 
Fierce offensive action in NHL 2005.
There are two parts to EA SPORTS' new "Open Ice" approach.
Open Ice Control allows the player to control another skater besides the puck-carrier. The advantages of doing so are many. You can use a player to skate down the rink at full speed in the hopes of a quick breakaway, set up an effective give-and-go play, or deftly maneuver a player through the crowded defensive zone for the open shot.
Press the white button to take over the farthest-forward skater, and the AI will handle the man with the puck. They'll act sensibly with the puck without taking too many chances. At any time, you may simply press the A button to call for the pass. The AI-controlled puck-carrier will send the puck to you immediately. You can rip a vicious one-timer with the B button, or make the quick wrister on net with the X button.
Be sure you're open for the pass, however, because your teammate will pass the puck as soon as you press A—whether you're open or not.
If you're not afraid of the rough stuff, you can use Open Ice Control to screen the goalie, and prepare to deflect the puck into the net. After pressing the white button, you can fight your way to the net, and get in front of the goalie. When your AI-controlled puck-handler has a clear shot, tap the B button. The AI player will fling the puck towards the net. If you're in the right position, your player will automatically try to deflect the puck into the goal. If you can get there, and buy the time for your teammates, it can be a very effective way to score. 
Keep tabs on that puck!
The second part of Open Ice Control is called Open Ice Support.
When you have the puck in the offensive zone, you can tap the black button. The nearest teammate to you will set a pick, by either checking or otherwise tangling the opponent's player up. This can buy you the time and space to take a clear shot, try a wraparound, or find another teammate for the one-timer. There is a risk involved with this strategy, however. Your teammate may get called for interference or a roughing penalty if he acts too aggressively.
Using Open Ice Control effectively can help you go from being a good NHL 2005 player to a dominating offensive force.
There are a few more tricks in NHL 2005's bag that help you out: dekes and fakes. They're easy to use, and if you time them right, they can be the last piece of the puzzle to your all-around offensive game. Now, as was seen in part one of this guide, pressing the Y button will call for an auto-deke. That's all well and good, but the truly advanced player always craves more control. By using the right thumbstick, your player can deke in any direction at any time, and you can "chain" dekes together to completely baffle your opponent. You can pass out of a manual deke by holding the L trigger and clicking the right thumb stick like a button. Shooting out of the deke is even easier: Simply press the right thumbstick like a button during your deke, and the player will fire the puck at the net.
If all that isn't enough to make your opponent's goalie nervous, the fakes are the proverbial icing on the cake. While in a windup to pass, hold the L trigger. Your player will look as if he passed the puck, but he'll still be holding it, and the defenseman guarding you may have just fallen for the fake and skated out of your way. Pull the L trigger during a shot windup, and your player will fake with his shot. If you've set it up correctly, the goalie may move to one side of the net—falling for your fake and leaving the other side wide open.
Combining and "chaining" dekes and fakes, especially when combined with judicious use of the Open Ice Control, can give your opponents nightmares.
When you've mastered all these techniques, you'll be ready to take on the world. And, this year, with NHL 2005 on XboxLive®, you can do just that!
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