NHL 16 Playoff Sim
With the Stanley Cup Playoffs only a day away, we have once again continued our annual tradition of predicting the winner of the Stanley Cup. Compete against the official EA SPORTS NHL 16 Stanley Cup Playoffs Sim at the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket ChallengeTM. Fill out your own bracket and see if you can out-predict our simulation.
Check out our full NHL 16 – 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs Simulation below:
The Stanley Cup Final
After an 82-game regular season and a grueling playoff run, it all came down to one game, the Washington Capitals versus the San Jose Sharks in Game 7 of The Stanley Cup Final. Home ice advantage proved the difference as the Capitals pulled off a close 4-2 victory, with Justin Williams scoring at 13:39 into the third period and Captain Alex Ovechkin sealing the deal with an empty-net goal in the dying seconds.
Top Playoff Stories
- Goaltender Braden Holtby built off his historic regular season by backstopping the Capitals to their first ever Stanley Cup and took home playoff MVP honors, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy. He finished the playoffs with 16 Wins, 2.10 GAA, .933 SV% and 3 Shutouts.
- Despite falling just short of their first Stanley Cup Championship, the San Jose Sharks had a playoff run to remember as they knocked off their Pacific Division rivals in the LA Kings and Anaheim Ducks. In the Western Conference Finals, the Sharks managed to contain the potent Blackhawks offense thanks to a stellar performance from goaltender Martin Jones.
Western Conference
- For the first time in five years, neither the Chicago Blackhawks nor the Los Angles represented the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final. The San Jose Sharks eliminated both teams, winning each series in six games.
- Despite holding a 3-1 series lead, the St. Louis Blues were unable to defeat their Central Division rivals, as the Blackhawks showed their playoff experience by storming back and winning three straight games in round 1.
Eastern Conference
- The Florida Panthers surprised doubters by defeating the New York Islanders and state rival Tampa Bay Lightning on route to the Eastern Conference Final. Hockey legend Jaromir Jagr continued to show everyone that age is just a number, as he led the Panthers in playoff scoring with 6 goals, 11 assists for 17 points in 20 games.
- Going into the playoffs Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins were red-hot, however, that came to a sudden halt against the New York Rangers. Goaltending was the story here, as the Penguins struggled to get a fully healthy goaltender between the pipes while Henrik Lundqvist stole the show for the Rangers.
- Despite missing Steven Stamkos, the Tampa Bay Lightning did their best to defend last year’s Eastern Conference Championship by beating the Detroit Red Wings in seven games in round 1. Unfortunately, their run ended in the following round, losing to the Panthers by the same margin.
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