EA Sports' games tend to do pretty well when it comes to predictions, particularly in regards to the FIFA World Cup. Predicting Canada to win the 4 Nations Face-Off final over the U.S. added to this good reputation, but the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs have resolutely defied the NHL 25 simulations.
EA Sports predicted the Toronto Maple Leafs to win Stanley Cup 2025 over the Colorado Avalanche, with the Montreal Canadiens and Vegas Golden Knights also making the conference finals.
NHL 25 managed to fill the top quartet entirely with teams that have been eliminated. Instead of Colorado facing Vegas, the Western Conference finals pits the Dallas Stars against the Edmonton Oilers, while the Florida Panthers duel the Carolina Hurricanes in the East.
Things started off well in the first round, to be fair to the simulation -- here's a comparison:
Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues: 4-3 (predicted 4-3)
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche: 4-3 (predicted 1-4)
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild: 4-2 (predicted 4-1)
Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers: 2-4 (predicted 4-3)
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators: 4-2 (predicted 4-2)
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers: 1-4 (predicted 1-4)
Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens: 4-1 (predicted 1-4)
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils: 4-1 (predicted 4-0)
NHL 25 predicted five series correctly in Round 1, three of these with the exact series length. Dallas earning a 4-3 series win over Colorado eliminated one of the predicted finalists early, however, and the clear victory of the Capitals over the Canadiens was another heavy blow to the simulation, giving us the following comparison for Round 2:
Winnipeg Jets vs. Dallas Stars: 2-4 (predicted Jets 1-4 Avalanche)
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Edmonton Oilers: 1-4 (predicted Knights 4-3 Kings)
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Florida Panthers: 3-4 (predicted Maple Leafs 4-2 Panthers)
Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes: 1-4 (predicted Canadiens 4-1 Hurricanes)
