EA Sports Provides Cool, Yet Completely Unrealistic NHL Simulation

The most popular brand in sports gaming is simulating the entire 2012-2013 season. The results have been questionable to say the least.

By Tyler Piccotti

Since I was a young lad growing up in the humble town of Taylor, Pennsylvania, I’ve been playing NHL video games. It all started with Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey on the Nintendo 64. This was my introduction to virtual hockey. I can remember the cartoonish graphics and the blinking rainbow-colored puck gliding across my television screen. I thought I had found hockey nirvana.

A look at NHL 99
(Photo Courtesy of Brent-Thomas.com)

EA Sports changed all of that.

Starting with NHL 99, I realized I had been missing oh so much. There were actually five skaters per team. Fights looked realistic. The puck was a normal black color. The game’s intro made one want to go lace up skates and hit someone. The soundtrack was awesome. It was the total package.

The games and gaming systems got better and better as the years wore on. AHL teams were added to the lineup. The graphics became more realistic. “Be a Pro” mode let the gamer control his or her own NHL destiny.

You get my point.

This is why I was excited when I found out that ESPN and EA were teaming up to simulate the locked out season. After all, EA had provided me with years of incredible realism. I had every reason to trust this simulation, and I was curious to see how this season would have played out (supposedly).

After nine weeks, however, I am shaking my head.

Now, I’m not saying I am the biggest expert in the world of hockey. However, I’ve watched enough of it over the years to consider myself well-educated. It is for this reason that I am declaring EA’s simulation a complete joke.

Why? Well, let’s look at the evidence.

We’ll start in the Eastern Conference. The two teams atop the East are… the Capitals and Islanders.

No, that’s not a typo. I said the Islanders.

I know John Tavares is already a stud, and the team has some underrated weapons in Matt Moulson and Kyle Okposo…but second in the conference? No way. Washington is out of place at the head of the pack as well. Ovechkin struggled to score goals last season, and the Caps barely squeaked into the playoffs. Speaking of the Islanders, the rest of their Atlantic Division foes are out of the playoffs. That’s right: no Penguins, Devils, Flyers, or Rangers in the top eight.

Meanwhile, the Western Conference looks a little screwed up as well. Both the Stars and Blue Jackets would be playoff bound as of now. Even more egregious is the fact that the Red Wings sit in last place… LAST PLACE! I could never have conceived such a notion, yet I’m supposed to believe this simulation? I don’t think so.

The individual stats are also pretty shocking. Patrick Marleau is on pace to score over 60 goals. His former teammate, Evgeni Nabokov, already has seven shutouts for New York. Meanwhile, the league’s GAA leader is… AHL/NHL yo-yo Braden Holtby.

I’m going to stop there.

Of course, one could argue it’s easy to look at simulated virtual hockey and complain about it. It’s not real after all. Well, I don’t care. This is THE #1 name in sports gaming. The experts at EA should have the formula for ranking teams and players down to a science. Seeing the results of this simulation makes me believe I’ve been duped all these years.

I’m hoping this is just a fluke. Otherwise, the love I have had for hockey games may end up in pieces. Much like the lockout, that would be a downright tragedy.

Four AHL Goalies Playing at an NHL Level

The NHL’s premier developmental league has repeatedly showcased exceptional goaltending talent. This year is no different.

By Tyler Piccotti

For casual hockey fans, it may be easy to forget that there’s still plenty of hockey being played on American and Canadian soil. The American Hockey League is currently in the midst of another season of minor league action.

Wait. Let me correct that last statement. It may technically be a “minor” league, but the AHL is currently full of top-flight professional talent.

This is especially true at the goaltender position. A multitude of NHL stars proved themselves in the AHL before making it to the hockey equivalent of “the show.” Among them are Ryan Miller, Dwayne Roloson, and Miikka Kiprusoff.

However, I’m concerned about this year’s crop of talent. Here are four goalies that are currently playing about as well as one possibly can:

Jeff Zatkoff, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Since their inaugural game in 1999, the Penguins have been one of the most successful teams in the league. One reason is the continuous flow of exceptional goaltenders they have seen, the most notable of which is Marc-Andre Fleury. This year, however, the focus is on Jeff Zatkoff. He currently ranks second in the league with a 1.62 goals against average. He is also tied for second with three shutouts. His play is making Penguins fans forget about backup Brad Thiessen, a former winner of the league’s Aldege Bastien Memorial Award. He has been a reliable workhorse for a team lacking offensive firepower.

Robin Lehner, Binghamton Senators

Lehner was the catalyst in the Senators’ 2011 Calder Cup run. After a subpar season last year, he has returned with a vengeance. He is among the league leaders in wins with eight. The main reason for this is his ridiculous .950 save percentage. His hot start has Binghamton fourth in the Eastern Conference and looking like one of the favorites to earn a playoff berth. He has 13 career NHL starts, but he should get plenty more if he continues on his torrid pace.

Curtis McElhinney, Springfield Falcons

A former rising star in the Calgary Flames organization, McElhinney’s career was almost derailed by a severe abdominal injury last season. Luckily, he recovered and was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Now, he is tearing up the AHL with nine victories and four shutouts this season for Springfield. His .940 save percentage isn’t all that shabby either. He has led the Falcons to the second spot in the Eastern Conference, and he makes them an instant challenger for Syracuse’s conference supremacy.

Dustin Tokarski, Syracuse Crunch

Speaking of Syracuse, the Crunch has an exceptional goalie in Dustin Tokarski. He was a brick wall in net for the Norfolk Admirals last season as the team won an incredible 28 games in a row, a professional record.  He was even better in the playoffs as the Admirals steamrolled their way to the league title. This year, he has picked up where he left off. He sports a 1.89 GAA and eight victories so far this season. More importantly, he has the Crunch atop the Eastern Conference. He has provided the defense for a team with explosive offensive weapons, one being league MVP Corey Conacher. He may very well be a tow-time champion when all is said and done this season.

A Bittersweet Hall of Fame Induction?

Three of the most recent inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame can’t help but reflect on the lockout

By Tyler Piccotti

(AP Photo)

On Monday, four of the best players in NHL history were honored in Toronto. Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, Adam Oates, and Pavel Bure were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame amidst the failed negotiations and apparent discord between the league and the NHLPA. These four were honored for their outstanding accomplishments and their contributions to the game of hockey. One would expect such a ceremony to be a joyful occasion.

Surprisingly, however, there was an inescapable feeling of discouragement brought on by the current labor dispute.

As ESPN.com reported, Sakic could not help noticing something on his new plaque. Lodged between his 20 years of service in the NHL was the 2004-2005 labor dispute, one that cost him another year on the ice.

“ I lost a year of hockey,” Sakic said. “It would have been 21 years instead of 20. That’s what you lose.”

Sundin had his own lockout demons to expunge. The former Maple Leafs star commented on the Stanley Cup Playoffs that never occurred. He felt as though he and his teammates had been denied of a legitimate chance to win the Cup during the same locked-out season. He didn’t need many words to convey his feelings either.

“It was awful,” he said. “I think it’s devastating.”

Wait a second… I thought this was an induction ceremony for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Why is everyone acting like the world’s supply of hockey pucks ran out?

Once again, you can blame the current lockout. It was also the reason why Toronto native Adam Oates missed out on being honored at the Air Canada Centre prior to a Devils-Maple Leafs matchup the previous Friday. By the way, he is supposed to be coaching the Washington Capitals at the moment as well. Ironically, his last season was the 2003-2004 campaign, the one prior to the locked out season.

As the reactions of these three hockey greats illustrate, the current dispute is a hard hit even for those retired from the league. Both Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr were on hand for the ceremony. Being the league commissioner, Bettman gave a speech in which he referred to the current negotiations as “difficult times.”

 Yes, even during a ceremony honoring some of the game’s legends, Bettman could not escape the stigma of the current dispute.

There’s a problem here. Even receiving a plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame has lost its luster. Fans are already frustrated. Now the players are starting to feel the same way. I can’t help but think the game is headed down a dark path as the lockout drags on. It has become a stinging wound for fans and players alike. If you don’t believe me, then maybe you’ll believe Joe Sakic.

“It hurts the players, it hurts the owners, it hurts the fans, and it hurts the game.”

I feel your pain, Joe. We all do.