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NHL 22 picks Florida Panthers to win Stanley Cup, but do these simulations play out in real life?

By Ian Oland

 2 Comments

May 3, 2022 1:36 pm

The Florida Panthers are your 2022 Digi Stanley Cup champions according to EA Sports.

The company behind the NHL’s video game franchise announced on Monday that the Panthers mauled the Capitals in five games, the Leafs in six games, the Bruins in six games, and the Avalanche in six games en route to its first Stanley Cup. Digi Aleksander Barkov was the Playoff MVP and awarded the Digi Conn Smythe Trophy per NHL.com.

[Gulp]

But wait… Does it matter? Is there significance?

The real-life Panthers won the Presidents’ Trophy during the regular season as the league’s top team and the rich only got richer at the trade deadline, adding superstar Claude Giroux. Video game-wise, this team is like the Eastern Conference All-Stars, with an infallible goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky who has a rating of 85.

If past history is any guide though, the simulation does not play out in real life. The predictions are wrong. Like really really wrong.

Don’t believe me? Please enjoy these Tweets of past posts.

2021 simmed Stanley Cup champions: Colorado Avalanche

2020 simmed Stanley Cup champions: Edmonton Oilers

2019 simmed Stanley Cup champions: Tampa Bay Lightning

2018 simmed Stanley Cup champions: Winnipeg Jets

2017 simmed Stanley Cup champions: Nashville Predators

2016 simmed Stanley Cup champions: Washington Capitals

The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Capitals were picked in 2016 to win it all – and as we all know that did not happen!

So maybe this is actually great news for the Capitals. Congratulations, Digi Panthers. Lift that Digi Cup high!

Photo: @EASportsNHL/Twitter

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