EA Sports’s NHL video game series did its annual playoff simulation and the Montreal Canadiens came out on top, with a virtual Nick Suzuki hoisting Lord Stanley’s mug.
The NHL 26 sim has the Canadiens besting the Minnesota Wild in seven games in the Stanley Cup Final. Along the way, the Habs topple the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games, the Buffalo Sabres in six and the Carolina Hurricanes in seven.
While the Canadiens are predicted to pull off upset wins over both divisional leaders in the Eastern Conference, the Wild are similarly expected to topple the Presidents’ Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche in the second round.
Now before Habs games go outside and stake their places on Ste-Catherine St. for the usual parade route, last year EA Sports went a bit sideways with their crystal ball gazing. They had the Toronto Maple Leafs winning it all over the Avalanche in seven, beating the eventual real champs, the Florida Panthers, in the process.
The NHL 25 sim also had the Habs shocking the Washington Capitals in five games. The reverse result happened in the end.
The Canadiens kick off their first-round series against the Lightning, in the flesh, on Sunday at 5:45 p.m. at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa before coming to the Bell Centre for Games 3 and 4 next week.