EA Sports Says Pick The Blues

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--September 26, 2013-- 

A simulation run by EA SPORTS(TM) NHL(R) 14 predicts that Alex Pietrangelo will lead the St. Louis Blues to their first ever Stanley Cup(R) Championship in the team's 47-year history. The Blues will finish second in the Central Division and third overall in the Western Conference with 99 points. Pietrangelo will be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Blues upset Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins to take the series 4-2 in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.

A full recap of the NHL 14 season simulation can be found on the NHL 14 website.

"The St. Louis Blues are the personification of NHL 14," Sean Ramjagsingh, NHL 14 Producer. "They're tough, fast and have one of the deepest lineups in the League, making them a favourite to finish on top this season."

Other notable team storylines include:

   -- The Chicago Blackhawks will take home the Presidents' Trophy with 108 
      points, only to be ousted by the Blues in the Conference Finals. 
 
   -- The Edmonton Oilers will finally edge their way into the Stanley Cup 
      Playoffs by taking the fourth seed in the Pacific Division, breaking 
      their seven-year playoff drought, which was the longest active streak in 
      the NHL. 
 
   -- The final battle for playoff position will be especially heated in the 
      West, with only one point separating fifth place, San Jose Sharks and the 
      eighth place, Edmonton Oilers. 

Several individual players also stood out in the NHL 14 simulation:

   -- Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will once again lead the League 
      offensively, posting 109 points to take home several pieces of hardware, 
      including his second Hart Memorial Trophy and his second Art Ross Trophy. 
 
   -- Jonathan Drouin, Tampa Bay Lightning's top draft pick in 2013, doesn't 
      disappoint in his first NHL season, and will claim the Calder Memorial 
      Trophy as the League's top rookie. 
 
   -- With an impressive 64 goals, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos, 
      will capture his third Rocket Richard Trophy, becoming only the second 
      player, after Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, to win the award 
      three times. 

The simulation is conducted by artificial intelligence or logic of the videogame that uses real-life data from each player. Results are extrapolated by the videogame when two teams match up based on player ratings, line combinations, and include variances such as injuries and hot streaks to give a realistic outcome of a game or series.

Powered by the best EA SPORTS technology on this generation of consoles, NHL 14 delivers hockey at its finest with big hits, and unbelievable speed and skill. EGM scored NHL 14 a 9.5/10 and labeled it "an all-time great," while IGN asserted that the game is "the most authentic hockey experience ever." NHL 14 is now available at retail stores throughout North America and Europe on the PlayStation(R) 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system.