| Authored by Andrew Perna - 23rd September, 2008 - 5:27 pm
 The NHL season is less than two weeks away, so what better time than now to play out the entire schedule? Thanks to our friends at 2K Sports, the makers of NHL 2K9, we were able to simulate the 2008-09 NHL campaign to help us predict what things will look like on the ice next June.
We used a copy of 2K Sports’ NHL 2K9 to simulate the season multiple times. The results, listed below, were the most common outcome. If the planets align properly, it looks like the Stanley Cup will be moving from the streets of Detroit to the sunshine of Tampa Bay.
Here’s how the Eastern Conference shook out over the 82-game regular season, with the New Jersey Devils coming out on top and the Philadelphia Flyers squeaking into the playoff picture.
Eastern Conference:
1. New Jersey Devils – 53-25-4 (110)
2. Buffalo Sabres – 49-25-8 (106)
3. Washington Capitals – 41-30-11 (93)
4. Boston Bruins – 49-27-6 (104)
5. Ottawa Senators – 45-32-5 (95)
6. Pittsburgh Penguins – 44-31-7 (95)
7. Tampa Bay Lightning – 43-34-5 (91)
8. Philadelphia Flyers – 41-33-8 (90)
Philadelphia’s Danny Briere attacks against the Pens in late March
Courtesy of NHL 2K9/2K Sports
Florida Panthers – 41-34-7 (89)
Carolina Hurricanes – 37-36-9 (83)
Montreal Canadiens – 38-38-6 (82)
New York Rangers – 34-35-13 (81)
New York Islanders – 35-37-10 (80)
Atlanta Thrashers – 33-38-11 (77)
Toronto Maple Leafs – 34-44-4 (72)
Atlanta’s Ilya Kovalchuk shoots against the Caps in their season opener
Courtesy of NHL 2K9/2K Sports
The Western Conference was slightly stronger in the simulation, with the San Jose Sharks posting the NHL’s highest point total.
San Jose’s Joe Thornton prepares for a key face-off against the Ducks
Courtesy of NHL 2K9/2K Sports
Western Conference:
1. San Jose Sharks – 52-19-11 (115)
2. Detroit Red Wings – 50-22-10 (110)
3. Vancouver Canucks – 49-30-3 (101)
4. Anaheim Ducks – 50-28-4 (104)
5. Edmonton Oilers – 46-30-6 (98)
6. Dallas Stars – 44-31-7 (95)
7. Chicago Blackhawks – 44-31-7 (95)
8. Colorado Avalanche – 43-31-7 (94)
The Wild just missed the playoffs, which means an April loss to the Wings hurt
Courtesy of NHL 2K9/2K Sports
Minnesota Wild – 44-35-3 (91)
Calgary Flames – 37-36-9 (83)
Phoenix Coyotes – 35-38-9 (79)
Nashville Predators – 34-37-11 (79)
St. Louis Blues – 34-38-10 (78)
Columbus Blue Jackets – 32-43-7 (71)
Los Angeles Kings – 19-49-14 (52)
In addition to generating the season results, we also tabulated the NHL’s top-ten scorers this season.
Regular Season Scoring Leaders:
Players, Goals, Assists, Points
1. Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit – 31, 58, 89
2. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit – 42, 46, 88
3. Eric Staal, Carolina – 39, 43, 82
Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa – 37, 45, 82
5. J.P. Dumont, Nashville – 32, 46, 78
6. Dany Heatley, Ottawa – 24, 53, 77
7. Jason Spezza, Ottawa – 32, 44, 76
8. Scott Gomez, New York – 30, 45, 75
Joe Thornton, San Jose – 24, 51, 75
Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay – 35, 40, 75
Here’s how things went down leading up to the Stanley Cup Finals:
Eastern Conference Playoffs:
8. Philadelphia Flyers versus 1. New Jersey Devils (NJ 4-1)
5. Ottawa Senators versus 4. Boston Bruins (OTT 4-3)
6. Pittsburgh Penguins versus 3. Washington Capitals (PIT 4-2)
7. Tampa Bay Lightning versus 2. Buffalo Sabres (TB 4-1)
7. Lightning versus 1. Devils (TB 4-3)
6. Penguins versus 5. Senators (OTT 4-2)
7. Lightning versus 5. Senators (TB 4-2)
Western Conference Playoffs:
8. Colorado Avalanche versus 1. San Jose Sharks (SJ 4-2)
5. Edmonton Oilers versus 4. Anaheim Ducks (ANA 4-1)
6. Dallas Stars versus 3. Detroit Red Wings (DET 4-2)
7. Chicago Blackhawks versus 2. Vancouver Canucks (CHI 4-2)
7. Blackhawks versus 1. Sharks (SJ 4-0)
4. Ducks versus 3. Red Wings (ANA 4-2)
4. Ducks versus 1. Sharks (ANA 4-3)
Stanley Cup Finals:
Tampa Bay Lightning versus Anaheim Ducks
Vincent Lecavalier lifts the Cup in Tampa Bay after Game Six
Courtesy of NHL 2K9/2K Sports
The Lightning win the Cup (4-2) over the Ducks
Your 2009 Stanley Cup Champion Lightning…
Courtesy of NHL 2K9/2K Sports
2008-08 NHL Awards:
Stanley Cup: Tampa Bay Lightning
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: Anaheim Ducks
Prince Of Wales Trophy: Tampa Bay Lightning
President’s Trophy: San Jose Sharks
Conn Smythe Trophy: Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay
Hart Memorial Trophy: Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit
Vezina Trophy: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit
Calder Memorial Trophy: Bobby Ryan, Anaheim
James Norris Memorial Trophy: Brian Campbell, Chicago
Frank J. Selke Trophy: Glen Murray, Boston
Art Ross Trophy: Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit
Maurice Richard Trophy: Ryan Smith, Colorado
Thanks to our friends at 2K Sports, we still have some swag to give away to a few lucky readers. Simply e-mail Andrew (Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com) with the projected win total of your favorite NHL team (from this simulation) and you’ll be in the running to win a prize, including a copy of NHL 2K9 for Xbox 360!
Make sure you check out, Old Faces In New Places, RealGM’s first collaboration with 2K Sports.
Any questions about the coming NHL season or the release of NHL 2K9? E-mail Andrew at Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com, or click over to 2k Sports’ NHL 2K9 page. |
