Great game with some frustrating issues.
This game is really good at sucking up your time. I've been playing this game for a long time now and it is really addicting. The online is vibrant and offers great challenge. There are a lot of great options. All the other modes are back as well. The board play addition is really great too, and an obvious improvement on the way players just slid across the boards in nhl 09. I don't want to repeat too much from other reviews but needless to say this is a great sports game and a must buy for any NHL gamer.
Negatives
-Okay, first and foremost, EA doesn't know NHL rules of play, which is sad. There are some penalties that shouldn't be penalties and many blatant non calls. If you knock away the puck from someone on a breakaway and they trip over your stick, that isn't a penalty. It's only a penalty if you don't play the puck. Interference calls are randomly and arbitrarily called.
-having the fighting button the same as the board play button is beyond stupid. Guess why. That's right. You will get into fights accidently while trying to do board play. If you integrate board play heavily into your strategy, which EA would want to encourage, then you will find yourself getting into fights you don't want, getting instigator penalties and sending skilled forwards to the penalty box for 5 minutes+ (needless to say they will likely lose their fight and might even get injuries).
-Fighting is irritating. It is way better than in nhl 09, but in nhl 09 it was such a small part of the game. In nhl 10 it is now fully integrated into the game and it should be a lot deeper than it is. It is also an oppurtunity for people to be annoying jerks online. Picking fights gives them satisfaction while it is just a boring waste of time for anyone who wants an interesting challenge. It breaks up the action.
-Passing. It is very frustrating. Lots of passing to nowhere. Maybe this is more realistic, and that's fine, but some missed passes are simply boggling. Is it too much to assume that these players have a little bit of a brain in each of their own heads? Maybe
-finally, I want to add a gripe I've had with the whole series for some time now. Namely, the game should do a better job at supporting intelligent play. Fancy dangling moves is way more effective than smart playmaking. The ideal hockey game (or any sports game), would reward you for predicting how a play will unfold. Often when I'm playing defense I will completely forcast where the shot will come from but because of the limitations of the controls I can't get the right player doing the right thing at the right time. Coordinating a defense is very difficult because of how you control which player you use. This affects offense as well, but defense can be quagmire.
Conclusion
Even though my negatives seem to outweigh my positives, it's still a great game. In a truly bad game I have no advice to give. In a great game like this, it makes me think of how it could be better. Anyways, please EA, read the nhl rule book and update the game