New York Islanders - Challenge 12 - Discussion Thread

Post by **batdad** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 5:30 pm

Heh. I am sure that there cannot be that much of a difference between the hilites I use (which are the ones just above none) and yours Lidas. I do some changes in each intermission though. Or if there is an injury. Any time I can move to tactics without interrupting the flow of the game.

And HArtmans--Glad to have you aboard. Any questions, let us know.

tksolway · Post by **tksolway** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 8:01 pm

Well its official my second season sucks as well. But since my younguns are still not ready for the big show that's not suprising. what is surprising is McDonald is doing better than DiPietro in net. grrr.

gibson41 · Post by **gibson41** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 8:49 pm

Season 1 is over, I decided to put my suckie goalies in net for the last few games to get higher draft pick. So my pick is #3.

Also, made good trade in June - Bergenheim for Huselius, I lacked good LW, and on the other hand I was stacked with RWs + with Okposo and Comeau knockin on door. I also had a shot on Heatley, but didn't want to lose 4 players for him...

So, draft day:
#3 Nazem Kadri (he was ranked #2, and was targeting him all the time, so yay!)
#32 Michael Latta (projected as first/second line potential, Derek Roy like, me likes)
#40 Adam Hughesman (compared to Brian Rolston, good physical attributes for his age)
#43 Joonas Nattinen (scouts compared him to Jason Arnott, and although being ranked about #80th place, I took him)
#62 Guillame Goulet (compared to Alex Steen, second line potential)
#122 Erik Haula (I had this guy in my previous Oilers game, and he's once again compared to Havlat and Alfredsson, and for such a late-draft pick, that's hell of a projection)
#152 Joakim Matsson (defensive forward, like Radek Bonk with slower stride...)
#182 Mikhail Ghlukov

Free Agency officialy started, I came with offers for Nittymaki, Budaj, Denis and Boucher, reliable back-up goalie is my main target right now. But I am done for now, I will see who accepted my offers later.

Post by **batdad** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:02 pm

Huselius was very good in previous incarnations of the db. Should be a stud. Nice deal. I thought about that, but I have a rule for myself...I cannot trade for guys I have had before in challenges (and usually other games).

Hence why I never made that Ducks deal, had already used Beauchemin extensively. Stewart I have traded for but quit that game soon after. And Booth, nevr had. Cullimore I had at the start of a challenge, but I think he played 1 game for me if that. Then I waived him or something. Cannot recall (Hawk chall).

Never had Talbot, and Lacosta. Picard was one I had, but that was with the team he originally belonged to. Never dealt for him before.

Curious to see how Kadri turns out never had him.

tksolway · Post by **tksolway** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:32 pm

I took Haula as well, with my 4th round pick I believe. I was lucky enough to get the #1 pick in the draft though, so I totally took Tavares, I have never actually played a game with him, so it should be fun. He's back in the OHL at the moment since my scouts all said he needed more seasoning, hopefully he'll be ready for next season though, then he can be one of my homegrowns ( I signed him right after the draft in anticipation of this).

Post by **batdad** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:45 pm

So....after 40 games, back in my rightful spot atop the conference. No power play to speak of, but noone can score on Dipietro.

Since he came back, here is his record:

9-1-1 0.900 GAA 0.972 Save % 5 shutouts 9.64 average rating.

He was player of the week in December Dec 11, and Dec 31. Also Player of Month for December.

Yep...me likey my Rick. Now I need to get the snipers sniping for Dougie

tksolway · Post by **tksolway** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:49 pm

I would love to see the defensive tactics that have produced these numbers

Post by **batdad** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:14 pm

I have some tactics, but they are designed around the players individual tactics. They are slightly different for every team I use. I have 3 sets I rotate through. One is a finesse offensive that is heavily altered from the basic. THe other two are run and gun offensive which I have altered drastically. Each of those has diffeent breakouts, neutral zone and forechecks. Then my lines are different from each other as well (usually lines 1 and 2 are the same).

I change in between games, I change occasionally between periods. Especially if

1. I am being outshot,
2. My pp is not getting enough shots.
3. My pk is giving up too many shots.
4. Guys are turning over the puck.
5. I am having to Block too many shots.
6. I have guys who are not performing in the line combo or tactic they are on(drop em off pp, or pk, or drop em down a line)
7. I change the goalie if he gets to a 5 rating, each and every time. Immediately upon reaching the 5 rating.
8. When a goalie reaches a 6 rating, I encourage about 2 or 3 guys to fight, and let it stay there until the dude fights.
9. When the team is not peforming, Ie I have 7 r 8 guys with 6 ratings, I encourage at least 2 guys to fight.
10. I vary my lines from overload, normal, equal. I never ever leave them the same from game to game.
11. I match lines occasionally, especially in the 3rd with a lead.
12. I change my backcheck settings with a lead.
13 I change my forecheck settings with a lead.
14. I change from point shot faceoffs.
15. I check my faceoff percentages in games and if someone is not doing well....he stops taking faceoffs (Hence I always have a bout 7 or 8 guys who have at least a 12 or 13 faceoff rating and higher)
16. In 1 goal games where i am ahead, the last 3 minutes I go to two lines, and I make darn sure I have guys with high ratings out there, and guys who are winning faceoffs.

This is not all, but already you can see it is complex. Especially since I have not given you a single line tactic, nor a single player tactic, nor a single team tactic. And again, although I have a basic setup for the team...I change it, depending on the type of players the team has.

I also, never ever have the same players...so that is not it.
Each player has his own tactics based on his abilities. For example. Passing. If someone pass attribute:

10 and under. Very safe passing, often dumping.
11-13. safe passing, normal dumping.
14-16. normal passing, normal or rare dumping (depending on line he is on and linemates)
17-18. Creative passing, rare dumping
19-20 What the heck is that last one? Oh yeah, adventurous passing, very rare dumping (Depending on puck handling ability, may be rare)

Each individual slider depends on at least one other slider what I do with it. For each player in the game, this is different. No 2 players are alike.

I watch the stats...if things are going wrong...I change things. If things are going right, I give em more slack until things go wrong.
Now...again if I could find a way to make my pp work. Ouch.

NOw...the basic reason I think my guys are not scoring much in Long Island: TOO MUCH ICE TIME for Guerin/Hunter. Because this team sucks in the bottom half, I have to use them to kill penalties too. So this kills their ability to be offensive.

Oh, and I do have individual tactics set diffferently for each player for even strength, pp, pk.....so even more complex.

I am constantly tweaking individual tactics. I am constantly tweaking line tactics, I am constantly tweaking team tactics

For my goalies I have three things I Do on their sliders:

1. VERY DEFENSIVE
2. VERY SAFE PASSING
3. STAY IN THE CREASE.

The other sliders I do not check at all.

So after that essay, which took 15 minutes, you can see why I don't post tactics. They don't work for everyone's team the same way for me. They don't work the same for me from game to game. hence why my Isles in the first 20 gave up a TON of goals, but in the 2nd 20 gave up hardly any. At least compared to my normal squads

Also, Deeps came back and made 45 saves in his first game for a shutout. That got the team going. and he was HOT HOT HOT. Nothing anyone can do about that. In his first 4 games, he gave up 1 goal.

gibson41 · Post by **gibson41** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:27 pm

batdad wrote:Yep...me likey my Rick. Now I need to get the snipers sniping for Dougie

You would love to have my Sim, huh

For the LW trade - I looked at trade needs, and Columbus, Washington and Ottawa were searching for key/regular right wing so that narrowed down trade possibilities to LWs Huselius, Modin, Semin and Heatley. I made offers for Semin and Heatley too, but they declined Semin one, but I didn't care honestly, as Semin is not defensively aware, and for Heatley - price was too high, I could throw 4-5 players so the trade would go through, but meh, Huselius was the best choice, period. I am not sure I want to stick with Comrie, he has a pretty big salary for a 2nd line center, I could find a cheaper substitute, I have 15 days left before trades are prohibited, so we'll see... And also want to get rid of one of my Dmans, most preferably Martinek, he has been playing rubbish since he got back, and I have younger guys in system to fullfil his position.

Post by **batdad** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 11:40 pm

Nah, just need my Guerin and Hunter not to have to kill penalties. I have had Semin in this game. Too in and out for me. Comrie actually plays alot of1st line LW for me, since I got Kozlov. They switch in and out. Comrie takes the draws no matter which position he plays.

binchnunker · Post by **binchnunker** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 9:06 am

If your are looking for someone to Improve your AHL squad check out Justin Abdelkader. Scouts picked him out when I was scouting Jimmy Howard, he had 8 points in 28 games for Grand Rapids, and since Joining my Tigers, 23 points in 19 games. So, maybe i got lucky, although he is playing on a line with Nielsen and Comeau, seems promising.

Post by **Lidas** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 1:02 pm

Things are shaping up a bit. Wasnt that happy with Streit, so I dealt him away. Also made another, smaller - but yet important trade. Y'all know where to find the info by now

hartmans · Post by **hartmans** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 2:24 pm

I screwed up (as I stated I likely would) and traded my first round pick....my bad....had it on my list of things you can't do and got caught up in the moment of negotiating the trade...wasn't even that good of a deal...

Anyways, I have a save pre- the trade. Can I restart from that point? Or should I continue and take the hit on the penalties, whatever they may be?

For the sake of time, I am going to restart from that point (but also save the game where it stands now, just in case). This is a learning experience for me anyways...first Challenge and all. You can tell from the results I posted that I don't know how to coach yet either (I usually let the coach do that in my regular games).

Again, my bad...I will try to do better in the future.

Captain Highliner

thunderbug · Post by **thunderbug** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 2:48 pm

go from the pre-trade.

hartmans · Post by **hartmans** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 3:17 pm

I will do that...in progress as we speak.

I will RESTATE and REPOST my Games 1-20 stats in the Stats Posting Forum later today.

Thanks for the input.

tksolway · Post by **tksolway** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 5:52 pm

batdad wrote:I have some tactics, but they are designed around the players individual tactics. They are slightly different for every team I use. I have 3 sets I rotate through. One is a finesse offensive that is heavily altered from the basic. THe other two are run and gun offensive which I have altered drastically. Each of those has diffeent breakouts, neutral zone and forechecks. Then my lines are different from each other as well (usually lines 1 and 2 are the same).

I see that is quite complicated. I have tried something similar in the past as well. How do you deal with the interaction between the line tactics and the Personnel tactics? Or do you not use Unit tactics?

Post by **batdad** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 8:46 pm

I use unit tactics. To get them where they are now is trial and error. Constantly tweaking like I said. First two lines start with very offensive and then I go from there.

rhack · Post by **rhack** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:09 am

Well.. my first challenge! annnnd I broke the rules already! For some reason I thought it was one draft pick in and one out. Oh well. Who do I ask to have my recording posts deleted? I need to start over.

thunderbug · Post by **thunderbug** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:43 am

I think Batdad, Bruins, or Calv are the people to talk to. Personally I would hit up Calv (I think he still calculates the challenges).

jbsnadb · Post by **jbsnadb** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:03 am

I've gotten sick and tired of getting my butt handed to me every game. I'm playing RDP at 90%. Hope he holds up.

eric1985 · Post by **eric1985** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 6:50 am

I'm so siked to start my Islanders season!!! A bit late but I'm confident i can keep up..

Post by **batdad** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 6:16 pm

Uh oh. Just lost Deeps for 10 more days. At least there are no back to backs. Cause no way I want to use Lacosta or Weslosky. Mannino is also injured.

Salming · Post by **Salming** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 6:25 pm

when can unsigned prospects be signed ? any time or only during summer?

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:31 pm

Are you talking about the 3 (1G/1D/1F) Young UFAs you're allowed to sign for your farm team in season 1? If so, you can sign them when you start the game. Just make sure you only sign players that meet all of the Young UFA criteria. Or are you talking about general UFAs? If so, you'd better go back and read the rules on UFA signings again.

If you're talking about signing your own unsigned prospects... you can sign them whenever you want. They're already property of your team, just not under contract. Keep in mind that many of them might not join your team right away.

Salming · Post by **Salming** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:34 pm

cool ty b72

was the second ones i refered to, the unsigned prospects that are 20+ and can play in AHL team or be used for trades later on. a few of the euros are decent but doesnt join until next summer as u said.