Although the Xbox 360 is the gaming industry's cool new toy, the fact remains that EA Sports' 07 lineup of games is arguably better on the PC and current-generation consoles. The Xbox version of NCAA 07, for instance, may be the best football game EA Sports has ever produced (it's simply a better game than the 360 version) and Madden 07 on the PC is a better game than its flashy 360 cousin. One might assume that EA's NHL series would follow a similar pattern, but it doesn't -- the PC version (as well as the Xbox and PS2) feels like a minor update to NHL 06 without the new control bells and whistles that make NHL 07 on the Xbox 360 worth buying.

For instance, on the 360, NHL 07 has the Skill Stick, an effective way to use the right analog stick to play the game. On the PC, however, you can only pass with the right stick -- the shooting method, which is really the cool part of the Skill Stick setup, is nowhere to be found. Instead, you're simply using the old button method which seems stale (and even quaint) by comparison. Passing using the right stick is easy enough; you move the stick right or left to pass in that direction, pull back for a drop pass and push it up for a floating saucer pass. This passing model is perfectly fine, but it's kind of boring when you can't use the shooting model in conjunction with it.

This would be merely an annoyance if the rest of the game had received ample attention in order to iron out its problems, but that's not the case. Defensive positioning remains a major thorn in the game's side as defenders simply do not play well near the crease; they allow players with the puck to glide right past them. The defense is better suited to playing along the boards, but getting a point-blank shot on goal is just too easy to do. This area has been a problem for years with this series and unfortunately it still is the game's biggest stumbling block.

Rick Nash: Pride of Columbus!

Offensive strategy is also non-existent. The CPU teams rarely have any semblance of a plan and just fire the puck on net at every opportunity. In this day and age, and with a superior game on the market like NHL 2K7, a game that just looks like hockey isn't enough. The NHL series needs to play more like the game it is trying to simulate.

Puck physics are a bit on the weird side, particularly when a puck is fired on net. When you watch a replay you can literally see the puck change direction as if it were the infamous Magic Bullet. When you rip a shot on net that looks like a sure goal, only to see the puck take a right turn into the goalie's glove, it makes the whole thing feel scripted and cheapens the experience.