April 29, 2013 – Electronic Arts™ announced today that according to the Official EA SPORTS NHL® Playoff Prediction, the New York Rangers® will beat the Chicago Blackhawks® in six games to become the 2013 Stanley Cup® Champions.* In addition, EA SPORTS, the National Hockey League (NHL®) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA®) announced the 32 players that will be advancing in the NHL®14 Cover Vote.**
2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs Predictions
2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs Storylines:
The New York Rangers win their fifth Stanley Cup in franchise history and their first since the 1993-94 Season, defeating the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.
Rangers forward Brad Richards wins the Conn Smythe Trophy, the second of his career. Richards notched 24 points in the Playoffs to lead all players.
Richards becomes the sixth player in NHL history to win at least two Conn Smythe Trophies joining: Roy (3), Gretzky (2), Lemieux (2), Orr (2), Parent (2)
The Chicago Blackhawks looked unbeatable as they progressed through the rounds, winning each series in five games before falling to the Rangers in six games.
The Western Conference saw two upsets in the opening round with the Detroit Red Wings (7) beating the Anaheim Ducks (2), while the Los Angeles Kings (5) defeated the St. Louis Blues (4).
The Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated in the first round of the simulation, although they did manage to take their Original Six™ rivals, the Boston Bruins, to seven games.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, who looked to be a strong favorite to win the Stanley Cup, fell to the Rangers in seven games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
For more information about the Official EA SPORTS NHL® Playoff Prediction, including expanded storylines, statistics and a full round-by-round breakdown, visit EASPORTS.com/NHL.
