One word...........Great
The modes, and gameplay options are deep and extrememly interesting. There is one major flaw I see which does not take away from my rating. The computer AI is ridiculous. As far as the goaltending it is not, but the Defense systems and reaction time is crazy. From rookie level to pro level there is a huge difference. I cant imagine what superstar is like. For me, pro is fine. I am not sure how the time counts down but for some reason if you adjust the period length, the in game clock still starts from 20 minutes. I cant figure this out yet, so feedback would be great on this.
The controls take some getting used to but this years NHL to me has it all plus makes it as real feel as you can get. With a lockout going on and no NHL Hockey until possibly Dec, you must pick this up to keep you busy. I hope this helps.
By the way, huge Devils fan and Marty plays like a 40 year old in this game. : )