NHL 19 Review: 4 Ups & 2 Downs

2. Goaltenders Seem Much More Reactive

The past few NHL games have annoyingly starred flapping goaltenders that let the tamest shots between their pads one minute then reel off TV-worthy dives to tip pucks onto the post the next. This could happen in real life, though not without a firm chewing out from coaches and teammates alike about the pass back that trickled over the line in the first quarter.

Goalies in the NHL are, generally speaking, very good. They have to be. The position has been problematic in EA's FIFA series too, and fans of that series will be pleased to know that NHL's net minders are a bit more on-the-ball this year. Overall, their reaction speeds are better, and they're less prone to brain farts that let pucks dribble over the line.

This has clearly been a point of concern in-house, one that EA were determined to fix.

Top-level tenders like Henrik Lundqvist, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Marc-Andre Fleury take up noticeably better positions in NHL 19, even when screened by players in front of them. That positioning, combined with better reflex animations (helped by the 'Real Player Motion' tech borrowed from Madden 19) makes them more solid between the posts.