They say defense wins championships. That’s true on the virtual ice, too. Unless you plan on winning every game 10-8, you’ll have to be as good at shutting down the opponent as you are at lighting the lamp. Thankfully, there are some tried and true methods to playing defense that still work in NHL 26.
Don’t Cheat Too Often
It’s so tempting. You have a defenseman like Cale Makar or Zach Werenski on your team in NHL 26, so you want to lead the rush with them and make offense happen. And yes, those players get involved in the offense in the NHL all the time. But they still do it selectively. To be effective in NHL 26, you will need to do the same.
Nothing will hurt you faster — especially in online games — than giving up too many odd-man rushes against. This doesn’t mean you should always play a conservative style. That’s admittedly not too fun. Instead, watch for the times when the other team pushes too hard and gets caught in transition. It will happen a lot more than you might think. Those are the times when you can put the pressure on. In addition, when you are on the power play, always mobilize the defensemen. Your best offensive defensemen should be on the ice, so utilize the AI rotating back to the point when you pressure with your D-man. The more you can get your opponent moving in those situations, the easier it is to set up a goal.
Stay Inside The Puck Carrier
This one is Hockey 101. When going back on defense, you always want to try to keep the puck carrier to the outside. This forces them into lower percentage passes and shots from bad angles. Doing this will help you be infinitely more effective against the dreaded one-timers from the triangle area of danger in the defensive zone.
Avoid being overly predictable. A good opponent will pick up on your tendencies early and know precisely when to deke. Also know that most opponents will always try to deke toward the center of the ice, and they’re going to try to bait you to go for a bit hit to make that even easier for them.
Use Stick Checks
Yeah, it’s more impressive to lay someone out with a big open-ice hit. But if you become a master at stick checking, you’re going to win a lot of games. The first, and most common, is the poke check. Many players online are prepared for this and skilled at protecting the puck, so avoid spamming poke checks and be selective. When you’re facing the puck and you have the angle, a poke check can effectively break up the play and even give you a quick transition up the ice. Don’t do it when you’re behind an opponent, though. You’ll likely find yourself on the way to the penalty box. To poke check, use RB on Xbox and R1 on PlayStation.
The other is the stick lift. Most players don’t use this feature as much, and it ends up costing them. This is safer than poke checking when behind the player in NHL 26, but it will still buy you the occasional high-sticking penalty. To stick lift using skill stick controls, use A on Xbox and X on PlayStation.
Block Shots
One of my favorite things in any NHL game is when I know I’ve got the opponent beyond frustrated in their offensive zone. The best way to do this is to excel at stick checks, as mentioned above, and to effectively clog up the passing and shooting lanes. That’s not always easy. But the more you try to block shots, the better you will be.
There are two ways to do this. First, by using the LB/L1 button, your player will crouch to block a shot or pass. This is more effective when you are in front of the shooter in a position to block the shot. It can block passes, too, but your positioning has to be precise. Second, if you press LB+RB/L1+R1, your player will lie flat on the ice. This method can be really effective against cross-crease passes and slap shots if you’re close enough to the shooter. It can also get you tripping penalties, so be careful.
Watch For Patterns
NHL 26 is powered by ICE-Q 2.0, which uses real-life NHL EDGE data to make players in NHL 26 play like their NHL counterparts. That means that player tendencies should be more accurately represented this year. As a result, team tendencies should shine through as well. Look for how teams like to attack. You’ll find patterns in how they enter the zone, where they like to shoot from, and what type of scoring chances they like to create.
In online play, you’ll find this to be even easier. Many online players will play repetitively. For example, they might bring the puck up the ice with the left wing 80% of the time. Or they pass up the ice in the same order. Maybe they love to play behind the net and set up a one-timer. Look for these patterns—they are always there—and adjust how you defend accordingly.
