NHL 21 has been out for a couple of months now, and there are still players unsure how to pull off the various dekes in the game.
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But that’s why we’re here. I’m Mike from Sports Gamers Online with a quick guide on how to pull off dekes that will leave your opponent’s jaws dropped and keep that goal light flashing in NHL 21.
Before getting into it, you’ll notice that many of these moves are the same as NHL 20, but there are some new ones worth talking about.
NHL 21 Deking Guide
Now, just to get this out of the way, these aren’t going to work every single time no matter how high your deking attribute is. While some may be quick to pick up and master, many of these moves will take time and practice to pull off. Hell, there are a few you’ll see that I still struggle with when trying to use both in practice and in-game.
Also, note that we’re doing these as a left-handed skater. For righties, just mirror what’s shown. With that said, we’re going to start off with the basic of basic moves that you can do in the game, beginning with the Spin-O-Rama.
Spin-O-Rama
The simplest move to do in the game, spinning requires the push of just one button to pull off. Simply tap LT (L2 on PS4).
Despite it being so simple, you can find yourself scoring some nice goals.
Stride Deke
Another one-button deke, all you need to do for the Stride Deke is to tap LB (L1 on PS4) while skating.
Windmill
To pull this off hit LB(L1) before flicking the right stick straight to the right or left, depending on which way you want to go.
Jump Deke
This move isn’t the best and it has a pretty low success rate, but it’s still fun to do nonetheless. To jump deke, hit LB(L1) and push up on your right stick.
Skate Kick
Sticking with the one-touch dekes, to pull off the skate kick simply hit LB(L1) and pull down on the right stick.
There are different variations of the skate kick ranging from the through the legs kick to the side kick. All can be done by moving the right stick in a different direction toward your skates.
Toe Drag
With Toe Drags, you don’t need to use anything other than the right stick to pull the moves off. There are two types of Toe Drags, forehand and backhand, both of which require the same motion to pull off.
All you need to do is move your right stick in a down semi-circle motion. From your forehand, move in a semi-circle down and around; vice-versa for a backhanded drag.
Datsyuk (Flip/Shot)
If you enjoy pulling off the toe drag and want to take it up a notch, then the Daystuk may be what you need.
Now, there are two different versions of the deke; both start the same way, but you finish them off slightly differently.
First, there’s the Datsyuk Flip. To do this you start by doing a fake shot which is done by Clicking in the Right Stick. Then, while still holding down the right stick, pull it straight down. With the puck now in the drag position, hold and release RB (R1 on PS4) to flip the puck. The best bet is to hold it for a second or so before releasing, but you can try different lengths to get the best results for you.
To perform the Datsyuk Shot, you start it the same exact way, but instead of hitting RB, you push up on the right stick to shoot the puck.
One-Handed
This move is a lot easier than what you’d imagine going in. To pull off the one-handed dekes and tucks, all you need to do is put the puck fully on your forehand or backhand and tap BOTH RB and LB (R1 and L1). For the best results with this move, especially when trying to score, come in at an angle. If you try and go straight on the net with this, you’re going to push the puck wide.
Between The Legs (Pass/Shot)
If you want to try and get fancy on the ice, the between-the-legs moves are for you. To put the puck between your legs, hit LB(L1) and then click in the right stick. If you’re still holding LB, you can hit and release the right stick over and over to pull the puck in and out of between your legs.
If you have the puck between your legs, you can just hit RT(R2) to pass the puck or push up to attempt a shot.
Between The Legs (Pull Through)
The other version of the between-the-legs deke is a much flashier version that looks dirty when you pull it off. And it’s really quite easy to do.
First, pull the right stick on your forehand to about the 6-7 O’Clock position in a quarter circle motion. With your stick in place, hit LB and push straight up on the right stick. Don’t rotate it or move it to the opposite side. Just move it straight up.
Sweep Deke
Now it’s time to get into the harder moves to pull off, starting with the sweep deke.
To do the sweep, hold the puck on your backhand and then hit LB (L1). From there, push both sticks in towards each other and you’ll see yourself attempt the move. Then, quickly move the right stick back to the outside to grab the puck and continue on.
This is a move that’s going to take quite a bit of work to master, but, once you do, it will quickly find itself in your repertoire on the ice.
Behind The Back
Another move that will take time to master, the behind-the-back is, without question, the toughest deke to complete in full for most players…including me.
To do this deke, you first pull the right stick on your forehand to about the 6-7 O’Clock position. From there you tap LB(L1) and push both sticks straight to the outside. The last step is where it gets the hardest as you need to quickly push the right stick straight up in order to reach and grab the puck.
If you want the best chance to pull off the behind-the-back deke, make sure you’re coming with speed.
Chips/Banks
Let’s take a slight step back with something easier to do in NHL 21, and that’s the various chips and banks you can do.
To push your body against the wall to avoid hits, simply tap LB(L1) when along the boards without hitting anything also.
The chip the puck around a player along the boards, hit LB(L1) and RT(R2) at the same time.
To bounce the puck off the back of the net, hold LB(L1) when skating behind the net, and hit RT(R2) when you get towards the middle.
Kucherov
The next move on this list wasn’t technically a deke in NHL 20, but EA Sports made sure to make it an official one in NHL 21, and that’s the Kucherov.
This is a move that’s not likely to ever work against AI goaltenders, but you have a chance to get a goal or two when going up against a human goaltender online.
You start by holding LB(L1). As you’re coming in, you’re going to push the left stick to your backhand to start a backhand stride deke. Once the stride deke animation begins, you’re going to want to quickly move your right stick to the forehand position to release the puck.
If done right, you’ll see your player just leave the puck rolling forward.
Lacrosse
The last deke on this list is something that’s going to take a ton of practice and ryhthm finding to pull off. Whether you call it the lacrosse, the Michigan, or the Svechnikov, just be ready to try it a lot.
The set up for the move is pretty easy. First you push the right stick fully to your forehand and then hold down LB(L1). Next, you click in the right stick to get the positioning set up. After that, with your stick bent a little, you’ll slowly move your right stick in a down semi-circle motion from your forehand to your backhand.
That’s where it gets tricky as you have to find the perfect timing. Go too slow and you will just bring the puck to your backhand; too fast and you’ll pull off the move without the puck at all.
A good tip is to start slow and gradually increase your speed until you find the right tempo of movement.
There you have it sports gamers, a full list of the dekes you can pull off in NHL 21. If this helped you at all, let us know which moves you’ve had the most success within the game. To talk with other sports gamers, join the community at the official SGO Subreddit, today!