EA Sports predicts Sharks as Stanley Cup champs

by Jason Dobson on Apr 8th 2008 11:00PM

With the puck set to drop tomorrow night for the 2008 NHL playoffs, the prognosticators at EA Sports have once again looked into the future vicariously through the studio's latest NHL video game offering to predict the outcome of the league's 16-win battle of attrition. By way of simulation using NHL 08, EA Sports named the San Jose Sharks as the team to finally earn the right to lift Lord Stanley's Cup, defeating Eastern powerhouse Montreal in seven games.

While this writer's favorite team, the Buffalo Sabres, are out playing golf, we agree that the Sharks, behind 2005-06's Hart Trophy winner Joe Thornton (not to mention former Sabres defenceman Brian Campbell), present a formidable force for any of the playoff race's 16 teams. Still, there's too much on-ice talent to write this off as gospel just yet, so we'll sit back and probably scream at the TV tomorrow evening as we wait and see if history mirrors EA's crystal ball.

Source

Tags: EA-Canada, EA-Sports, EA-Sports-NHL, Microsoft, montreal-canadiens, NHL-08, NHL-2008, PC, playoffs, PS2, PS3, san-jose-sharks, Sports, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (57)

EA Sports apparently doesn't take into account the Sharks history of folding early in the playoffs.

EA can go puck themselves...

EA can take their comments turn them sideways and stick it straight up Peter Moore's candy Ass!

Yeah, and ESPN's Madden simulation of the Super Bowl said the Patriots would win.

My money is on the Penguins.

I'm digging the Pens' love.

Am I the only one who DOESN'T want to see Roenick get a Cup? Just because he's had a good career doesn't mean he has a right to win. Don't get me wrong, if I had the choice between the Wings and the Sharks to progress to the finals I'd take the Sharks, but... Just am not on the Roenick bandwagon I guess.

Go Avs!

Kick ass, another COLORADO AVALANCHE fan. :D!
Here's to a swift 4-0 sweep of the Wild!

Good luck with that 4-0 sweep of the Wild. Forsberg has definitely made your team better but they've been soft most of the year and Minnesota finished the season 5-2-2 against the Avs.

GO SHARKS!

Wow, I never thought that a Joystiq writer would be a Sabres fan. Lets Go BUFFALO!

While the Sharks are probably the most logical choice (The West is so much tougher than the east, fellas), I think that Montreal has a great chance at winning it if Carey Price can continue his dominance.

I'll be rooting for the Caps since my Sabres are hitting the golf courses.

:)

Who the crap watches hockey?

See how many people throw out a team name or commentary on the playoffs this season, and you'll have your answer.

Judging from your avatar I'll assume you're from Florida... if I were from Florida I'd be bashing this season's NHL playoffs too... ;-)

More likely, he's just an idiot, who's circle of friends only care about football and basketball, so he bitches when ESPN covers other sports, and doesn't understand them.

OMG THIS NEWS POST IS HOCKEY/FOOTBALL FANBOY FLAMEBAIT!

Smart people. Not you.

Lol... nice. Unless EA has some evil moves up their sleeve, I wouldnt count on their predictions. (like buying off refs a-la take two)

Go Sens Go... (I just hope they start performing this year) :-P

You're a Sabres fan? Are you from Buffalo or just crazy?

I live in Buffalo and I'm a Calgary fan, but just because they're my home team I do hold a bit of spirit for them.

Anywho, I really don't think the Sharks will get past the first round.

Oh, and what's the word on NHL '09? Anyone?

I want some deets on that shiz asap.

There's so many little things that they need to fix,and definitely run it through a little more QA before shipping it, but it's hard to sit here and just list them off because they're not so much improvements as they are tweaks.

Well, they could start with changing the music to something more hockey rallying. I must've muted every track on the NHL08 game... Of which blame should also be placed on Sony too, for no custom soundtrack XMB option(a la Xbox Dashboard)firmware update yet.

What No Red Wings.

go habs

Montreal FTW!!!!!!!!!!!

---

You guys should see the roads here, almost 1 in 3 cars have the Habs flag sticking out of their window!

The cup is coming home baby!!!!!!!

EA comes close in its prediction, although Montreal will be the winner.

Anaheim. Back to back champs.

Indeed, this is exactly whats going to happen... Go Ducks!

Not if my Stars have anything to say about it.

i guess I'll be the only rooting for the bruins. Go Boston!!!!

Washington Capitals will win the Cup!
Our glorious comeback from the bottom of the league continues through the playoffs, beginning by crushing the Flyers!

Alex Ovechkin is by far the best player this season, but he didn't get us there alone, the whole team rocks!

This Line Just Kills Me :

"A simulation is conducted by artificial intelligence or logic of the videogame that uses real-life data from each player."

Real Life Data? Henrik Lundqvist would be a Top 5 Goalie if that were correct.

Let's be real here. The game has as much chance of prediction as any of us have so... go for it guys :)

Personally, I'm a Ranger fan, and would like to see them explode out onto the scene, as they very well have shown they can, and as a Dark Horse, you can't count them out with King Henrik.

Otherwise, I think Detroit's goin all the way. They're just too damned good at this point.

All I Know Is... Fear Washington.

NY RANGERS FTW!!!

Devils FTL.

sharks ftw!!!!!!!!!!!11

I'm not a sports fan, but I do know one thing: My state's Red Wings are the most formidable force in hockey in the United States. It's the team we pour the most effort into, and the team we're probably the most proud of as a state (no offense to the Pistons, of course).

The Tigers? The Lions? Bleh. Nobody cares. But Red Wings hockey is all the rage in Michigan... We're like the American Canada. We care more about hockey than football.

But we do not make a big deal of curling, even though we can watch it on CBC whenever we like.

I know the Tigers are 0-6 right now, but they're not what I'd consider a "bad team" anymore. They especially don't deserve to be grouped in with the Lions.

So how about selling out a 1st round game or two...

Oh sure EA, pick the hometown boys...

This inspired me to run my own simulation to determine the 2008 World Series champs.

I will be putting heavy money on the SNK Crushers to take down the Ghastly Monsters in 6.

I sure hope Montreal brings the cup home this year, it's long overdue. Best offense in the league (most goals for) and no one in the top 10 goal-scorers means it's a team effort, not a one-man show.

However, the Red Wings (and Sharks) are a little scary. While I think Montreal can make it to the finals, I'm not so sure about its chances against a top tier West team. Regardless, go Habs go!

This'll be a fun way to start summer :)

Although I'd love to see a Canadian team win the cup (it's a Canadian cup after all), I don't think the Canadiens (or Sens) can stand up to the West, and I don't think Calgary is going to last long either.

Sadly, I have to agree with "why not..." at least as far as the Senators go. The Sens got to the finals last year, but this year has been a rough one. We JUST made it into the playoffs.

But I's still like to see them pick it up! Also, the Habs have always been my first choice until the Sens came back to Ottawa, so I'd love to see them take it home too... unless they end up against Ottawa ;-)

GO FLAMES

Umm.. They didn't even get the first round match-ups correct; San Jose doesn't play Minnesota, they play Calgary and Minnesota plays Colorado. What's the point of doing this whole simulation if you can't take 15 seconds to surf over to CBS Sportsline and see the bracket on the main page? Lazy..

Umm... it says:

"and Jose Theodore putting up a wall against the Wild to knock off Minnesota in four games."

San Jose is not equal to Jose Theodore. Maybe there's a case of laziness going around.

pleez dont jinx it

The Sharks? Only if Joe Thornton can shake off his playoff futility (and, to be honest, he's due). Other than that, goaltending is the key, and in the east Martin Brodeur is the only goalie with any kind of playoff experience coming into the playoffs. (MTL, BOS, WSH, NYR are coming with no goaltending experience, while PIT, PHI, and OTT, have almost none--especially since Emery isn't playing)

I give NJ a big advantage. I'm sure you'll see them in the semifinals at least.

Yeah too bad the Rangers are 7-0-1 against the Devils this year. Lets go Rangers!!!

It sucks that the Vancouver Canucks have been eliminated. As a Vancouverite and Californian, I got mine last season when the Ducks won. Here is hoping that Lord Stanley's mug stays in the West Coast.

With nearly all EA SPORTS posts, I will continue to ask humbly...

...BRING BACK MUTANT LEAGUE, DAMNIT.

Montreal in the final would rock!

Caps FTW!!!!!!!!!

Why, Leafs...WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME??? *sniffles*

While I'm on the subject, my money's on Detroit over Montreal in 6.

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EA Sports predicts Sharks as Stanley Cup champs

Reader Comments (57)

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