NHL 18′ simulation has Blackhawks out of playoffs, Lightning winning Stanley Cup

If EA Sports’ full-season simulation on “NHL 18″ proves to be anything more than just, you know, a video game simulation, the Tampa Bay Lightning have even more reason to get pumped for 2017-18.

A year after “NHL 17″ correctly predicted the Nashville Predators would win the Western Conference, the newest installment of the game has the Lightning dethroning the Pittsburgh Penguins as Stanley Cup champions. The simulation also projected a Western Conference Finals bout between the Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers, whose superhuman captain, Connor McDavid, graces the cover of the game.
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Not everyone made out so well in the “NHL 18″ forecast, though. The Chicago Blackhawks, for instance, were left completely out of the playoff picture a year after they fell victim to the Predators early in the postseason.

The game also predicts Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov will win the Maurice Richard Trophy as the League’s top regular-season goal scorer, as well as the Conn Smythe Trophy for MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron is projected to repeat as Selke Trophy winner for best defensive forward, which would be his fifth time winning the award, Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson is predicted to earn his third Norris Trophy and Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price is projected to win the Vezina Trophy for the second time.