EA’s official NHL 22 Stanley Cup sim picks Florida over Colorado
The 2021-2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially underway. This is the most exciting time of the year for hockey fans as we get to see 16 teams battle it out to see who earns the right to life Lord Stanley’s Cup! Every year, EA Sports does a playoff simulation in the current NHL video game to see who comes out victorious in each round and to see who the eventual Stanley Cup winner may turn out to be. This year the Playoff simulation was done in NHL 22 and the game choose the Florida Panthers to beat the Colorado Avalanche in Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals. EA Sports NHL released the full simulation over on their Twitter page.
This prediction is not a very bold prediction at all, and EA Sports may very well be right this year. The Florida Panthers won the Presidents Trophy in the NHL by having the most points by an NHL team in the league with 122 points. They were the best team in the Regular Season with a record of 58-18-6.
In the Western Conference the Colorado Avalanche were the best team and they finished second in the NHL league standings with 119 points. They had a phenomenal Regular Season managing to come away with a remarkable 56-19-7 win-loss record. The Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers have been the best two teams in the League for the whole entire year. If it really came down to the Avalanche and the Panthers in the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals, I do not think that many people would be all that surprised.
https://twitter.com/EASPORTSNHL/status/1521202957332754432
EA Sport’s NHL 22 First Round Playoff Simulation
Whenever EA Sports does their video game simulations when the Playoffs begin, it always includes a full-scale simulation with every round of the Playoffs included. This year there are a lot of great first-round matchups to feast your eyes on. If you look at all 8 first-round NHL 2021-2022 Playoff series, each of them should provide their own levels of intensity and entertainment. Here is how EA Sports predicted the first round of the 2021-2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs in NHL 22.
Western Conference First Round
- Colorado Avalanche defeats Nashville Predators (4-0)
- Minnesota Wild defeats St. Louis Blues (4-3)
- Calgary Flames defeats Dallas Stars (4-1)
- Edmonton Oilers defeats Los Angeles Kings (4-2)
Eastern Conference First Round
- Florida Panthers defeats Washington Capitals (4-1)
- Toronto Maple Leafs defeats Tampa Bay Lightning (4-2)
- Boston Bruins defeats Carolina Hurricanes (4-3)
- Pittsburgh Penguins defeats New York Rangers (4-3)
As you can tell there are a lot of juicy first round matchups. I don’t totally agree with EA’s simulation of the first round, but they do predict a few game sevens which are always something that can really get the heart race going. Bruins/Hurricanes should be a great series, Blues/Wild is always a good rivalry especially in the playoffs, Penguins/Rangers is going to be one heck of a battle, and let’s not forget about Lightning/Maple Leafs even though I would be shocked if the Leafs were finally able to win a First Round Playoff Series.
EA Sport’s NHL 22 Second Round Playoff Simulation
Western Conference Second Round
- Colorado Avalanche defeats Minnesota Wild (4-1)
- Calgary Flames defeats Edmonton Oilers (4-0)
Eastern Conference Second Round
- Florida Panthers defeats Toronto Maple Leafs (4-2)
- Boston Bruins defeats Pittsburgh Penguins (4-2)
It appears that the EA Sports NHL 22 Stanley Cup Playoff simulation was friendly this year in terms of sweeps as they are predicting that there will be two 4-0 sweeps through the first two rounds. Sweeping any team is hard and I would be shocked if there is going to be any, let alone two. There are a lot of strong teams in the playoffs this year and if the Calgary Flames did end up playing the Edmonton Oilers in the Second Round, I would be shocked if the series ended in four games.
EA Sport’s NHL 22 Conference Finals Playoff Simulation
Western Conference Finals
- Colorado Avalanche defeats Calgary Flames (4-3)
Eastern Conference Finals
- Florida Panthers defeats Boston Bruins (4-2)
EA Sport’s NHL 22 Stanley Cup Final Playoff Simulation
- Florida Panthers defeats Colorado Avalanche (4-2)
The Florida Panthers may be the favorite to win the Stanley Cup this season by a lot of people and with EA Sports NHL 22 simulation, but the Presidents’ Trophy winner has had very bad luck when it comes to winning the Stanley Cup in the same season. Only eight total times in NHL history has the Presidents’ Trophy winner gone on to win the Stanley Cup. The most recent team to do so were the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2012-2013 shortened season. It is almost as if the best team is always cursed.
With all that in mind, is the official NHL 22 EA Sports Stanley Cup Playoffs simulation going to hold true or are the Presidents Trophy winner going to lose again for what would be the ninth straight season? Tune into the 2021-2022 NHL Playoffs starting on May 2 to find out!