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Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 4:14 pm
by Muznick
Hi, I'm new to the game. So far, in 25 season games, Carey Price started 24 times. I was simply wondering if there will be negative effects for not alternating my goalies.
Thanks!

Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 8:34 pm
by batdad
Yep. He gonna get hurt in the playoffs and later in the season when the games are most important. In EHM I advise using goalies at 55 games max and even then have lost my goalie several times in the playoffs.
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 11:03 pm
by Geordie_Bolts
What kind of rotation do you use to get those 55games? Do you have a pattern you follow or does it entirely depend on your schedule?
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 11:22 pm
by Peter_Doherty
I usually aim to give my backup around 20, sometimes a little bit more sometimes a little bit less depending on how good the backup is and how im doing in the standings.
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 4:42 am
by Muznick
Thanks for the reply. Price did get injured later on. Luckily for me, it was only for 10 days.

Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 6:47 pm
by batdad
Most of back up games on back to back. Generally I look at sched and standings and try to give the backup the weakest of teams in the three game set, unless the three games are spread apart quite a bit. Sometimes, the starter gets 3 straight if hot, and very rarely 4...AND ONLY IF SPREAD APART. Also...in back to back vs same team....NEVER EVER do I play the same goalie in both games. My backups tend to get 25-35 games depending on age of starter, and ability of the backup (also age). I rarely now have goalie injury problems come playoff time. D and C....now that is another story.
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:17 pm
by Joe
I'll admit that I'm sloppy when it comes to rotation. Sometimes I'll forget and my starter will player 10-15 games straight. But I do also like to go for the most wins in a season record. I actually haven't had my goalies suffer injuries very often. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I have a lot of success in both regular season and playoffs with a starter who's played around 70 games in the regular season.
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 7:12 pm
by KevT90
This is aspect of the game that would be interesting to see get modified. The goalies should get very tired after a game so that if you play 2 nights in a row you are somewhat ''forced'' to put your backup in there (there condition would drop to like 50%). Otherwise there is no real incentive to have your second goalie start games other than giving him some ice time. I don't think your starter gets injured more if he is starting all the game, he just has more chances to get injured every time he plays.
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 8:40 am
by AgentNXS
My only issue with having a goalie get very tired after every game, is that some goalies in real life pull back to backs from time to time, especially if they are in a playoff race. Obviously not many goalies can play 3 games in 4 nights(except maybe in the playoffs if necessary), so it'd be understandable for them to lose a lot of energy if you do play them back to back, but many like Lundqvist, Rinne, Price, etc can pull back to backs a few times a year. Those examples are also goalies with very good conditioning/stamina, so it would make sense in the game for goalies with a below average stamina stat to very rarely ever play back to back games.
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 11:44 am
by SirMichaelJordan
You can play your goalie 82 games snd have him available for the playoff...Been doing it since the EA was released.
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 1:07 pm
by Kopi
SirMichaelJordan wrote:You can play your goalie 82 games snd have him available for the playoff...Been doing it since the EA was released.
noone said you cant

you just risk the injuries and drop of form
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 2:31 pm
by Rediscoveryx
Another factor is the regression of your backup goalie in a scenario where he gets limited game time.
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 2:51 pm
by lemming3k
kev90 wrote:This is aspect of the game that would be interesting to see get modified. The goalies should get very tired after a game so that if you play 2 nights in a row you are somewhat ''forced'' to put your backup in there (there condition would drop to like 50%). Otherwise there is no real incentive to have your second goalie start games other than giving him some ice time. I don't think your starter gets injured more if he is starting all the game, he just has more chances to get injured every time he plays.
I think this sounds most accurate, unless there is a hidden stat somewhere that suddenly makes injury risk jump when certain conditions around appearances are met like back to backs or past a certain date played x amount of games (I really don't think the game has been designed to do that, unless the devs demonstrate otherwise) then what you're probably finding is just a general increased risk based on the fact you're giving your Goalie around 30%+ more games, and possibly some at lower condition.
I'd have thought condition would be the indicator as it is with other players, but this just doesn't drop much for Goalies, perhaps it should but their recovery should depend on fitness, allowing the odd back to back if he's rested before/after.
I played Smithy practically every game and he was fine, but then early in the season a few other Goalies went down with a UCL tear and they can't have been overplayed already, so I think it's just random/luck and conditioning.
I'd say play the backup in the non-key games just to minimise the risk to your starter as every game increases the risk, but I don't think there's anything set up to crock them unless you use them when their condition is bad.
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 4:24 pm
by batdad
Sorry do not want that. Want the same goalie to be able to play the back to backs as many of the starters in real life do. You start dropping the condition and it never works.
Now, that being said...I do not often play my goalies in back to back games personally. Risks injury. I just know that it does from experience with the game. I do it ONLY when I know the schedule and look at the standings and see who we are playing ahead of time, and make sure that the goalie absolutely does not play 3 games in 4 nights.
I mean really guys...have a look around the show...tons of goalies play back to back. All players play back to back. Why on earth would you want the game to have the goalie condition drop off after one game so incapable of playing the next to any strong game? Sure sometimes the goalie does not do as well in 2nd game as 1st ,but that is not to say his condition or readiness is not 100%? Really...this is not freaking soccer where you play a game and cannot play for a week because you are so tired and risk injury for sure.
You CAN play your goalie every game, you are just stupid if you do. That simple. You can play your goalie 75 games, you are just stupid if you do. You CAN play your goalie 60 games and it may work ,and it may not.
THIS IS HOCKEY...that is the way it should be.
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 9:08 pm
by SirMichaelJordan
...You risk injury ANYTIME you put a player on ice. There needs to be a legit reason to play a backup during the regular season other that giving backup ice time, if ice time is the case then you are better off keeping your top backup in the minors.
When you have your goalie playing 4-5 back to back games (early patches) and he is not tired then sonething is wrong. Impeoving this area does'nt mean goalies cant play back to back games but they shouldn't be %100 after playing 82 games in a conjested schedule (before latest patches)
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 9:40 pm
by batdad
The legit reason to play the goalie? Um....because that is what happens in real life. Find me a team in history where the goalie played every game? Right...you can't.
No there is nothing wrong. You just have to use your brain, or behind the scenes...issues will crop up. Again...if you want to play a stupid game that hands you everything on a silver platter EA Sports is made for you. This is a thinking game. Not everything should be handed to us on a silver platter.
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 10:16 pm
by SirMichaelJordan
batdad wrote:The legit reason to play the goalie? Um....because that is what happens in real life. Find me a team in history where the goalie played every game? Right...you can't.
No there is nothing wrong. You just have to use your brain, or behind the scenes...issues will crop up. Again...if you want to play a stupid game that hands you everything on a silver platter EA Sports is made for you. This is a thinking game. Not everything should be handed to us on a silver platter.
Thats the point...
It does'nt happen in real life and the reason it does not happen is conditioning...Which is also tied to risk of injury.
You are agreeing with the idea, for some reason you think a goalie should have 100% conditioning. You say its stupid to play him in 82 games because it increases the risk of injury which isn't the case in my experience. Decreasing condition however will increase the risk of injury therefor forcing the user and AI to give him a break. You're talking about house rules while I am talking about gameplay.
You are basically saying that goalies should not fatigue but you should not start them in every game because the risk if injury which does not really make sense.
http://www.broadstreethockey.com/2013/4 ... back-games
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 10:27 pm
by batdad
I do not want to be FORCED to make the decision to not play him because his conditioning is way down on screen. I should be allowed to have my big boy pants on and take the risk and play him. He is still 100% healthy. He can walk talk and run around. He can go in the net and play...maybe he has a bad day. It is about having to make the decision for myself....I do not want the game to treat my like a baby and tell me he cannot play, because it shows his condition as 90% or 75% at some point.
I have plenty of times where my goalies have gone down in conditioning and then only get back to say 98% for the next day. I should be in control of the decisions I make on whether to play him or not. Based on his stamina, and everything else.
So NO....I Do not agree with you. I am far from agreeing with you. You want the game to tell you exactly when the goalie is tired, instead of looking at it and saying...hey maybe I should rest this guy a little.
Tell you right now---without an injury every goalie is in the condition to play every game in the NHL. They just do not, because overuse leads to injury. Injury is the only reason they should be at less than say 98% on a game day, OR....because the game decided to implement THE ROXY EFFECT (Vancovuer bar).
You should be able to tell that the guy is ready to go or not. If you cannot....not anyone else's problem.
You already should know as you have been told over and over....there is an increased chance of injury to all players the more you use them. I rest my guys enough to know that I have minimized the risk as much as possible.
Noone walks up to GM or coach and tells them....this guy is only 76% healthy and ready to go right now....don't play him tonight. The coach and the player have to make that decision, and no player tells the coach that he cannot go, unless.....he is injured, sick. And the game has that already. So I am happy with it, and so are the majority of people. A couple want to be bottle fed, and that is fine.....but the majority wants the game the way it is in this area, and the developer seems to want to treat the user like adults, and not baby feed us. I appreciate that. SO should you.
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 11:32 pm
by SirMichaelJordan
You would still have a choice to play or sit a goalie who is fatigued with 90% conditions. Not sure where you are coming from.
You keep saying that the game has all of these hidden mechanics yet there are tons of players on the AI teams playing 82 games and I can play every guy on my team (even the goalie) 82 games plus the playoff while only suffering minor injuries (there are a lack of fatigue and injuries in this game)
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 11:51 pm
by batdad
Alright there big dog. You win. You are righter than anyone could ever be right. My NHL Goalies should have their condition toned down to like oh 75% after playing 70 games. Seen Braden HOltby lately? God he looks horrible.
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 12:02 am
by nino33
SirMichaelJordan wrote:You keep saying that the game has all of these hidden mechanics
It does. For some evidence, look at the list of Attributes you can see in-game and compare that to the list of available Attributes to edit
It's possible things need adjusting (i.e. Early Access). It's also possible that the database/Attributes need tweaking (which is being done)
Having said that Holtby played 73 games this year (and Quick played 72, Rask played 70, Schneider 69)...and in the prior seven full seasons played NHL goaltenders played more than 73 games in a season 15 times! Seems that IRL NHL goaltenders can and do play many consecutive games (including multiple back-to-back games)
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 12:11 am
by SirMichaelJordan
Ok...No one said it's impossible for a goalie to play that many games (0 examples of 82 games btw) it happens too frequently in EHM. You gave me few example IRL but I can see half the league in my saves playing 70+ games every year and this even happenend when the scheduling in the NHL was messed up where teams were playing up to 5 games back to back..
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 12:19 am
by nino33
Quick Sim? Full Sim? Just curious (I only play all leagues enhanced/full sim, I've no experience with quick sim)
Also, have you posted your experience on the SI bug forum?
http://community.sigames.com/forumdispl ... 92d7e98925 It'd be great if you did!

Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 12:36 am
by SirMichaelJordan
I never use quick sim and I reported this to SI since the first release, doesn't help when you have guys saying nothing is wrong in every related thread.
Re: Should I alternate my goalies?
Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 12:44 am
by batdad
Not saying nothing is wrong. Saying nothing is needed. It is not a fix that is important young man. Read between the lines of the game and understand how hockey players are IRL and you would not have this issue. IT is a pet peeve of yours and is FAR from being something that is important or even needed to be fixed.