I was impressed. The faces have a creepy Goldeneye quality to them. The scoreboard shots after a score are top-notch as well. The lights on the scoreboard create animated sequences such as hands clapping. Perhaps the biggest graphical disappointment is associated with fighting.
Skaters look like sticks.
Fortunately the fighting has a meter associated with it. I was pressing buttons like mad waiting for my skater to strike the opponent. A short time later the opponent lay flat on the ice. Somewhere between punches were thrown, but you would be hard pressed to find them. The sound in NHL 2001 is shaping up well.