nicksmith April 13, 2009 Entertainment 2 views Comments Print This Post  Email This Post

With the NHL hockey playoffs first round schedule announced this weekend and games beginning shortly, EA took the time to simulate the outcome in NHL 09. We have had both good and bad luck with our simulations in the past including freakishly accurate Cardinals-Eagles NFL NFC Championship game and the Cardinals-Steelers Super Bowl that just missed the mark. EA is hoping that their pick of the Boston Bruins as NHL champions is more accurate than their NCAA basketball pick of Louisville via NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition.
NHL 09 Videos and Trailers

The Boston Bruins will win the Stanley Cup for the first time in 37 years, defeating original six rival Chicago Blackhawks in a six game series, according to the official EA SPORTS simulation of the 2009 NHL playoffs on the award-winning NHL 09 videogame.

Boston, led by shutdown defenseman Zdeno Chara, outmuscled the Blackhawks and received timely scoring from Conn Smythe Trophy winner Phil Kessel to capture its sixth Stanley Cup, and first since 1972. Kessel, playing on the Bruins top line with playoff leading scorer Marc Savard, delivered two overtime game-winners during the Finals. He finished with 14 goals in the playoffs, including five in the Finals.

The EA SPORTS simulation predicts Boston and Chicago will appear in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 17 and 15 years, respectively. Boston last appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1990, losing 4 games to 1 to the Edmonton Oilers. Chicago lost in four straight games to Pittsburgh in the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals.

2009 Stanley Cup Finals
Game 1  Boston 4 Chicago 2
Game 2  Boston 3 Chicago 2 OT
Game 3  Chicago 3 Boston 1
Game 4  Boston 4 Chicago 3 OT
Game 5  Chicago 4 Boston 3
Game 6  Boston 5 Chicago 3

Boston reached the Stanley Cup Finals with 4-2 series wins over Montreal, and Carolina, and a thrilling seven games series victory over the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference Finals, according to NHL 09. Chicago, making its first playoff appearance since 2001-02, upset President’s Trophy winner and top seed San Jose in seven games in the Western Conference Finals after series wins over Calgary (4-2) and Vancouver (4-2).

The defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings were upset by Columbus Blue Jackets, who were making their first playoff appearance, in a seven game first round series.

The NHL 09 computerized simulation is conducted using artificial intelligence that uses real-life data from each team, such as player ratings and line combination, and includes variances such as injuries and hot streaks to predict a realistic outcome of each game and series.

EA SPORTS NHL 09 has won 12 Sports Game of the Year awards and is the highest rated sports game on Xbox 360. Feel what it’s like to be an NHL superstar in Be A Pro mode. Create yourself in game, choose your position, insert yourself onto the roster of your favorite team and then lead them to the Stanley Cup in NHL 09.

Eastern Conference Finals
Game 1  Boston 3 Washington 2 OT
Game 2  Boston 4 Washington 3
Game 3  Washington 4 Boston 1
Game 4  Washington 4 Boston 2
Game 5  Boston 2 Washington 1
Game 6  Washington 4 Boston 3 OT
Game 7  Boston 3 Washington 2

Western Conference Finals
Game 1  Chicago 5 San Jose 4
Game 2  San Jose 5 Chicago 3
Game 3  Chicago 4 San Jose 3 OT
Game 4  San Jose 3 Chicago 1
Game 5  San Jose 4 Chicago 3
Game 6  Chicago 4 San Jose 2
Game 7  Chicago 4 San Jose 3

Eastern Conference

Round 1
(1) Boston defeats (8) Montreal , 4-2
(2) Washington defeats (7) NY Rangers, 4-2
(4) Pittsburgh defeats (5) Philadelphia, 4-3
(6) Carolina defeats (3) New Jersey, 4-2

Round 2
(1) Boston defeats (6) Carolina, 4-2
(2) Washington defeats (4) Pittsburgh, 4-3

Eastern Conference Finals
(1) Boston defeats (2) Washington, 4-3

Western Conference

Round 1
(1) San Jose defeats (8) Anaheim, 4-2
(3) Vancouver defeats (6) St. Louis, 4-2
(4) Chicago defeats (5) Calgary, 4-2
(7) Columbus defeats (2) Detroit, 4-3

Round 2
(1) San Jose defeats (7) Columbus, 4-1
(4) Chicago defeats (3) Vancouver, 4-2

Western Conference Finals
(4) Chicago defeats (1) San Jose, 4-3

Stanley Cup Finals
Boston defeats Chicago, 4-2

Playoff Scoring Leaders

Player GP G A PTS
Marc Savard 25 8 19 27
Alexander Ovechkin 20 15 11 26
Patrick Kane 25 10 14 24
Phil Kessel 25 14 9 23
Joe Thornton 19 7 15 22
Patrick Marleau 19 10 11 21
Jonathan Toews 25 10 11 21
Alexander Semin 20 9 12 21
David Krejci 25 6 14 20
Martin Havlat 25 12 8 20
Nicklas Backstrom 20 6 14 20