he bone-jarring savageness of the sport ruled the rink in the last installment, but this year, it’s all about the art of open ice. With the click of the button, control can be switched from puck carrier to any other player on the ice. This, of course, becomes very advantageous as it creates opportunities for crashing the net, orchestrating offenses, and setting up the ultimate one-timer.

Rather than opening the play up, I found that this off-the-puck control didn’t work as well as it should. Given the breakneck speed and intensity of play, your actions have to be precise in order to excel with these maneuvers. I often found that when I switched control, I would skate the wrong way, or focus too intently on my other man that the puck would get stripped away. It works for ESPN because the play is a hair slower, the rink is larger, and the CPU assists you. In this game, you rely too heavily on luck.

While this aspect proves to be fly-by-night, the little enhancements that EA implemented really tighten up the gameplay package. You can now call for double teams and picks, perform amazing wraparound shots, and even knock a twig out of a player’s hands. The CPU AI has also been enhanced to cut down on breakaways. They now play more of a trap style of defense, and will try to drive you into the boards. Goalies will also glide out of the net to cut off your shooting angle. Moving the wrist shot to an independent button makes shooting more dynamic, and different face off formations are finally available.

In improving the visual realism of the game, EA has implemented stadium specific entrances (such as the shark head in San Jose), a slew of new animations, and detailed facial expressions (although all of the players have full sets of sparkling white teeth). Outside of the action you’ll see on the ice, EA has done very little to strengthen user interaction in Dynasty mode.

For the second year running, NHL best encapsulates the play and authenticity of the sport.

The Edge

The framerate isn’t exactly smooth as butter in any of the versions, but it just happens to run a hair better on the Xbox. The graphical details are also superior, especially if you are playing the game on a HDTV. Only on the Xbox will you see jersey tucks as well.  

MATTHEW KATO   8.5 The biggest asset of this title is its corrections from last year. New features are, in reality, sprinkled-in bonuses. Most improved are goalies, who come alive with newfound smarts and different playing styles. Gone are some of the more jarring animations – especially for defenders. Still, players can interact like bumper cars at times. Off the Puck control’s usefulness is limited, and I wish it selected more players for you. Wraparounds, new practice scheduling, and Off the Puck help flesh out NHL into a solid step forward.