For those of you who left your Google alerts on for Washington Capitals games, the last week has been painful. Five minutes before games, I’ve seen this pop up and it’s made me whimsical of times of yore.
😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/g2uwaS1pwm
— RMNB (@russianmachine) March 14, 2020
NBC Sports Washington understands that pain and wants to try and still entertain you. That’s why on Friday morning, through the Capitals, NBC Sports Washington announced it will present one-hour video game simulations of the previously scheduled games using NHL20.
The game simulations will begin on Tuesday, March 24, at 7 PM, with a digital matchup between the last two real-life Stanley Cup Champions, the Capitals and St. Louis Blues. According to the release, the presentations will feature commentary from NBCSW’s Capitals announcers, which means I may still be able to make fun of Alan May on Twitter from my basement.
“We know that fans are as disappointed as we are not to be able to watch our favorite teams on a nightly basis. We hope that these fun and engaging video game simulations will entertain our fans and help provide a greater sense of normalcy during these challenging times,” Zach Leonsis said in a release. “We hope that when people tune in and watch these simulated games, they will be able to enjoy some friendly competitive play from the comforts of their own home.”
NBC Sports Washington will also do the same with Washington Wizards games using NBA 2K20.
“We hope this content gives fans a welcome outlet for their passion and interest in the Capitals and Wizards,” said NBCSW Senior Vice President & General Manager Damon Phillips. “If the video game version of Bradley Beal and Alex Ovechkin live up to their real-life counterparts, fans should be in for a fun experience.”
More from the Capitals:
MONUMENTAL SPORTS NETWORK, NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON TO SIMULATE POSTPONED WIZARDS, CAPITALS GAMES WITH TWO OF GAMING INDUSTRY’S LEADING SPORT SIMULATION TITLES
WASHINGTON D.C. – March 20, 2020 – Monumental Sports Network and NBC Sports Washington (NBCSW) will present one-hour video game simulations of previously scheduled Washington Wizards (NBA) and Washington Capitals (NHL) games through Take-Two Interactive’s NBA 2K20 and EA Sports’ NHL 20, respectively, beginning this weekend.
The artificial intelligence (AI) gameplay will be presented in alignment with the teams’ remaining schedules of postponed regular-season games, including opponents and dates. The matchups will be televised on NBCSW, and available via its 24/7 authenticated streaming platforms, and streamed direct-to-consumer on Monumental Sports Network via its website http://www.monumentalsportsnetwork.com or via any of its available apps on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Xbox.
The Wizards simulations, which begin Saturday, March 21, at 7 p.m. ET with Wizards vs. Milwaukee, will be conducted through Take-Two Interactive’s NBA 2K20. The viewer experience will include the same video and audio components of NBA 2K20 gameplay, along with contributions from NBCSW’s Wizards experts surrounding the coverage.
The Capitals schedule of game simulations, using EA Sports’ NHL 20, will begin on Tuesday, March 24, at 7 p.m. ET, with a matchup of the last two Stanley Cup Champions, the Capitals vs. St. Louis. Several elements of the NHL 20 user experience will be included, but the presentations will feature commentary from NBCSW’s Capitals announcers.
