[quote name='lordwow']I've been practicing offline with my franchise team, does anyone have any suggestions on shooting, namely my shots always seem to go wide left or right, I guess I'm pushing the analog stick over too far. I'm just having trouble skating/shooting at the same time without losing the puck to a defender.[/quote]
Well, when the game first came out, the shot accuracy was way too high, and people were able to nail corners from behind the blue line. Then, EA issued a patch, and now shooting high/wide is fairly common. Since you're playing franchise, I'm assuming you're using pro players, so they should have decent shot accuracy. Obviously, it's going to vary depending on what kind of player they are, but one thing you could try is not even touching the left stick when shooting.
I've missed so many wide open easy shots because of trying to be too fine with it. Granted, this method will cause you to aim right at the center of the net, and often into the goalie, but maybe you'll get a five hole, or a deflection off his pads and in. AI goalies misplay a ridiculous amount of shots in this game, so at least it ups your chances.
As for protecting the puck, if you hold the A button while skating, you'll hold it away from the defender. This doesn't really guard you from being checked, but it makes it harder for them to poke at the puck.
I've got more tips, but they mostly apply to BAP and your created skater. When playing with pros, their skills are already pretty high, so really, you just need to practice, and get more comfortable with the game.