EHM The Blue Line

Does anyone have an idea, what makes a good playoff player?

My team morale takes a drop everytime playoffs start, and it's starting to bug me. In my two separate games - both with Espoo, first one reaching to 06-07 season, and the second one is now at 08-09 - I've not once won the playoff finals, or usually not even close to it (reached there only once, but lost it), even though my team is very good, and I'm always atleast in the top 5 teams in regular season.

The team is quite experienced, most players are between 25-35 yrs old, even though I have a few promising youngsters too. And most of them have high determination and other "mental values".

Well anyhows, just wondering if any of you guys have the answer to my dilemma.

hmm, don't know...
however, shouldn't this be in the players forum?

-- MOVED

I have experienced the same thing with Canadiens in the NHL. Winning the regular season isn´t all too hard, especially when you got a good scoring line.
I have two theories.

For the first I think the games get "tighter" in the playoffs and teams tend to play more defensive trying to minimize the mistakes.

Then I also think that the AI learns our style of playing and also the roles of your players in every line. Who shoots and who passes etc.

My solution is simply to play more defensive hockey in the playoffs and also trying to change your lines. Maybe an idea is to spread out you starplayers during regular season to form a "superline" a few games before the playoffs.

Yes, it's certainly true that the AI learns your tactic. Like in CM, a good tactics gets "cracked" by the AI after 2 or 3 seasons...

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure the whole AI cracking tactics thing is a myth.

I don't know about that tactic cracking thing, since I've played 6 seasons with the same tactic (seventh about to start), and my last season was the best so far. At least in regular season.

For some reason the players motivations drop when playoffs start, and my reliable goalie (Stefan Liv) starts to suck it all in.

I guess mixing the lines is the best way to "wake the team up", cause nothing else comes to mind, and it usually works in regular season, when they suddendly deside to go on a loosing streak...

Yes, but usually you improve you team with new players.

In my old CM games, I played 3 seasons only buying what I needed. I finished 2nd in the last one...

Maybe it's a myth, maybe it's just coinsidence. But I heard this story from other players too.

I do think that AI can crack you tactics but ofcourse, if you have really good players the team will play good hockey no matter what tactic you are using.

Well, it does sound realistic that thru time the opponent teams would know how you play, but ofcourse knowing that one plays hard, tackles hard and likes an attacking style, doesn't necesserily mean you can fight it if your players are less skilful.

I'll have to look into this "tactic cracking", if not only to win that frekkin title, but to know if it's true!

Let the hunt to solve the Tactic Cracking Mystery begin!

Edit: Hahah! Just after I've said this, I get back to my game to start the next season and suddendly my board "Wants the title."

So far they've settled for playoffs...