The EA SPORTS NHL 14 Stanley Cup Playoffs simulation predicts that the Boston Bruins will return to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year and prevail as Stanley Cup Champions after defeating the San Jose Sharks in six games. This will mark the first Stanley Cup win for veteran Jarome Iginla, whose last appearance in the Stanley Cup Final was a decade ago with the Calgary Flames. Tuukka Rask, finishing the Playoffs with an outstanding 1.56 GAA, .948 SV% and four shutouts, will win the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Other notable storylines include:
- In the first round, goalies Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens and Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers will lead their teams to 4-0 game sweeps.
- In the second round, the Chicago Blackhawks’ dreams of a Stanley Cup Championship repeat will come to an end with a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the young and talented Colorado Avalanche.
- In the Eastern Conference Final, the Bruins and Rangers will once again go head-to-head. The series will go seven games, where Patrice Bergeron will once again be clutch for the Bruins, scoring five minutes into OT.
For those techies out there, the simulation is conducted by artificial intelligence or logic of the videogame that uses real-life data from each player. Results are extrapolated by the videogame when two teams match up based on player ratings, line combinations, and include variances such as injuries and hot streaks to give a realistic outcome of a game or series.