Time to roll up the ice. You don’t need to play any NHL playoff games this year, because Chicago’s got it in the bag — according to EA Sports, that is. The company ran a simulation on their award-winning NHL 10, and according to the results, the 'Hawks will defeat the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins in a seven-game series [via Icrontic]
This reminds me of the 1996 Sports Illustrated cover that said the Super Bowl would be between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers that year. It wasn't.
In defense of EA Sports, they do a little more than just predict Chicago winning the 2010 Stanley Cup. Video-game companies do simulated seasons on many sports titles every year. For this season, the sports-game juggernaut took the concept a step further. They conducted a computerized simulation using artificial intelligence that takes into account player ratings, line combinations — even unpredictable occurrences like injuries and hot streaks. Sounds like it's time to take a trip to your local sportsbook! Check after the jump for video highlights of the virtual finals.
[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYJU6TU29So 607×365]