Practicing sounds lame, but at the same time, nothing beats breaking down the defense and slipping the puck through the goalie's legs. There's a bigger sense of accomplishment doing that than simply "getting lucky". Furthermore, don't shy away from learning more than just how to shoot (the right stick). NHL 08 is fun and incredibly addictive, especially online, where you can not only play the standard one-on-one contest, but also participate in online leagues.

It also helps that the game looks stunning. Once again, EA delivers a gorgeous hockey game with the familiar trappings you should expect; a raucous crowd, realistic looking players, deforming ice and plenty of bone shattering hits.

Conversely, the game's developers couldn't make both versions equal, and as a result, the PS3 NHL 08 runs a bit slower than the Xbox 360 edition. That doesn't mean, however, that PS3 owners won't enjoy the game.

No matter which version you play, you'll dig the control improvements, the challenging AI and the attractive graphics. Whether or not NHL 08 checks 2K Sports' NHL 2K8 into the boards remains to be seen, but regardless, EA did a superb job, and you need to play this game, whether you appreciate the sport or despise it.