The gameplay trailer for EA Sports NHL 21 has just dropped and fans are reacting to some eye-catching and jaw-dropping new ways to score in this year’s game. Hockey’s most creative and inventive players are always finding new ways to deceive, deke, and beat their opponents — and NHL 21 is keeping up with the ever-evolving skillset of the league’s superstars.
Added to your attacking arsenal are the all new slips, banks, and chips possible in NHL 21. The neutral zone is the area where the speed and explosiveness of NHL’s best players truly shine. In NHL 21, you decide how you want to attack the defenders. Some slippery players like Marchand and Gaudreau get small along the boards and squeak by defenders on their way to a fast-break scoring chance. You can also bank it off the boards to yourself, or chip it past a flat-footed defenseman and burn him on your way to the net like McDavid.
Great players use everything on the ice to get an advantage. That’s why we’ve added the ability to bank the puck off the back of the net and suddenly change directions in NHL 21. Perfected by edgework wizards like Sidney Crosby, now you can shake off a pesky forechecker in your own end or cause chaos and confusion behind the net of the opposing team.
Sometimes, NHL players make the highlight reel for what they don’t do. Especially if that NHL player is Nikita Kucherov. He’s become the namesake of the “no-move” deke — playing on the anticipation of an awaiting goalie and faking a fancy dangle only for the puck to slide cheekily into the net. At first, hockey fans weren’t even sure it was on purpose. But now we know that Kuch just likes to break the goalie’s brain.
Lastly, and perhaps most anticipated, is the inclusion of the lacrosse goal. Long thought to only be useful on the pond and in practice, Andrei Svechnikov made hockey history by being the first player to successfully score with the move in an NHL game. It’s now possible in NHL 21 too. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that just anybody can pull it off. Just like in the real NHL, it requires the perfect storm of a gifted player, an unaware goalie and an opportune moment behind the net. But pull it off and you’ll celly like Svech, because it sure feels good.
EA Sports has woven the creativity and innovation of the league’s most daring, skilled players into the fabric of NHL 21. Recognize greatness as you take control of the league’s superstars and pull off moves destined for the highlight reel. Pre-order NHL 21 today on the Microsoft Store for Xbox.
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