BURNABY, B.C. - The Vancouver Canucks are poised to dispatch the L.A. Kings, while the Ottawa Senators will be ousted in the first round of the NHL playoffs -- if a simulation by the "NHL 12" video game is accurate.
The latest instalment of the EA Sports hockey franchise also predicts the New Jersey Devils and Chicago Blackhawks to provide a pair of upsets.
The top-seeded Canucks will beat the Kings in six games in the Western Conference, according to the simulation, while the Senators, eighth in the East, will go down in five games to the top-ranked New York Rangers.
The Devils, seeded sixth in the Eastern Conference, will beat the third-seeded Florida Panthers 4-3. The Blackhawks, the sixth seed in the West, will oust the third-seeded Phoenix Coyotes 4-1.
The simulation was conducted using artificial intelligence that uses data from each team, such as player ratings and line combinations, and takes into account injuries and hot streaks.
"NHL 12" was developed by EA Canada in Burnaby, B.C.
