NHL 19 Checking: How To Body Check, Poke Check, & Stick Lift In NHL 19 Games
In hockey, solid defense is essential to keeping your advancing opponent away from scoring opportunities. It’s also a necessary aspect of the game if you ever want to get the puck away to try to get those sweet breakaways for scoring opportunities. Here’s our guide to the NHL 19 checking. With this, you’ll learn how to body check, poke check, or stick lift in NHL 19.
NHL 19 Checking: How to Body Check
The body check is the go-to move for hockey players to just knock their opponent down and get that puck. In NHL 19 checking, it’s an aggressive move to level your opponent to the ice (as seen below). It’s also rather easy to perform. Just like in NHL 18, you’re going to use skill stick controls on NHL 19 to do a body check.
On the PlayStation 4, use the Left stick to skate towards your opponent. Hold the Right stick towards them to throw the body check.
On Microsoft’s Xbox One, it’s the same controls. Use the Left stick to skate towards the opponent. As you’re doing that, hold the Right stick towards them until you’ve thrown the body check.
If done correctly, this can knock them off their feet with a brutal body check. It also allows you to get the puck for your team. For another type of aggressive check, check out our guide for how to hip check in NHL 19.
NHL 19 Checking: How to Poke Check
For NHL 19, a poke check is essential for your defensive strategy. In hockey, the poke check is one move where a defender uses their stick to poke the puck away (seen below). The tactic is commonly employed by defensive players or goaltenders in the game. In fact, it’s been something that the EA developers tweaked in an NHL 19 tuner update.
To perform the poke check on PlayStation 4, you’ll need to wait until the puck is within range of your defender’s stuck. Once it is, press the R1 button to poke check the puck away from the opponent.
To perform the poke check on Xbox One, wait for the puck to be within the range of your defender’s stick. Press the Right Bumper on the controller to make the poke check. This will tap the puck away from the opponent.
NHL 19 Checking: How to Stick Lift
One other defensive move to learn is how to stick lift in NHL 19. This defensive tool will also help you steal the puck away from your opponent by getting your stick under the opponent’s stick to lift it (seen below). For the stick lift to work, your defender should be alongside the opposing player and moving in a similar direction. The reason for this is that you want to have a good amount of leverage to put your defender’s stick underneath the opposing player’s stick.
To perform a stick lift on PlayStation 4, make sure you are alongside the opposing player and moving in a similar direction as they are. Press the X button when your defender’s stick is near the opposing player’s stick.
To perform a stick lift on Xbox One, make sure your player is alongside the opposing player, moving in a similar direction. Press the A button when your defender’s stick is close to the opposing player’s stick.
The NHL 19 stick lift tactic is especially helpful for a smaller defender who needs a way to get the puck away from a bigger advancing player. Add it to your defensive arsenal and you’ll be able to have another way to get the puck away as needed.
Get more of our tips, techniques, and news for the game by visiting our NHL 19 section!