Who will hoist the Cup at the conclusion of the 2014-15 season? According to a simulation on EA’s NHL 15, the Los Angeles Kings will once again lift the Cup and celebrate their third title in four seasons. The simulation had the Kings besting the Boston Bruins in six games, as seen in a recent report from NHL.com.
The simulation predicted that the Kings would eliminate the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Final while the Bruins would make the Cup Final after eliminating the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Sidney Crosby would have a year to remember, taking home four of the league’s top awards (Hart, Art Ross, Maurice Richard and Ted Lindsay award). However, Crosby’s Penguins are predicted to fail to advance deep in the playoffs, thus resulting in another disappointing year.
Here’s some additional details on how the simulation was conducted:
EA Sports conducts its simulation using artificial intelligence and real-life player data. In an attempt to provide realism to the game, injuries and hot streaks are also thrown into the mix. EA Sports NHL 15 is also the first edition of the popular series to use 12 Player NHL Collision Physics and Real Puck Physics to more authentically replicate the unpredictability of what happens on the ice.
Ignoring the obvious sales pitch in the final sentence of that explanation, the simulation yielded some interesting results. Familiar faces from last year are predicted to do well while one team on the rise, Columbus, is expected to take another step forward.
