Anything can happen in the NHL Playoffs.
Presidents’ Trophy winners can get swept in the 1st round. Bubble teams that squeak into the playoffs can go on bigtime runs. A goaltender can single-handedly take over a series with next to no help from his team.
Anything can happen in the NHL Playoffs.
While the unpredictability is part of what makes the NHL Playoffs such a fun tournament to watch, we all like to take our best guesses regardless. Hockey fans everywhere have locked in their playoff brackets, but perhaps the most “credible” prediction tool is EA Sports video game NHL 21.
On Saturday evening, right before puck drop in the NHL Playoffs, EA Sports released the official Playoff simulation. It definitely came with a few surprises…
The Boston Bruins, who came out of the East in the #3 seed, was predicted to win the whole thing. They get past the higher-seeded Washington Capitals, then they SWEEP the East’s #1 seed Pittsburgh Penguins. They take down the ‘Canes in the semifinals, and then take the Vegas Golden Knights to Game 7 and win the Cup.
While Boston is a lower seed, nobody would necessarily count them out. Sweeping the Pens in the second round would be VERY impressive.
Perhaps even more surprisingly, the Colorado Avalanche – who many think are Cup favourites – don’t make it past the 1st round. The St. Louis Blues eliminate the Avs in seven games, before losing the Final-bound Knights in Round 2.
The sim does have Toronto finally escaping the 1st Round (just barely), but they end up falling in the second round to Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the Edmonton Oilers.
(H/T EA Sports)
