NHL 22: simulated CH season with and without Carey Price

The Canadiens registered their fifth loss in as many games this season against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday and nothing is going well. While the vast majority of experts dismissed the Habs from a place in the playoffs before the start of the season, the more optimistic themselves are beginning to doubt. Would the scenario be different with a healthy club? The question is valid. We therefore decided to run two simulations of the Canadiens’ season on NHL 22, one with Carey Price in the net and the other without. Here is what it gives.

Images: Screenshot, NHL 22

The results speak for themselves and even if it’s a video game, when the best player on your team is left out of the competition, it’s harder to be successful.

According to the first simulation, without the # 31 in the starting line-up at CH, the Canadian wouldn’t even be fighting for a place in the playoffs. Dominique Ducharme’s troops would finish sixth in the Atlantic Division with 82 points (39-39-4), just behind the Buffalo Sabers (84 points) and ahead of the Ottawa Senators (80 points) and Red Wings. of Detroit (79 points). In the Eastern Conference, the Habs would therefore be positioned 12th out of 16 at the end of the current campaign… Nothing too encouraging.

In front of the net, Jake Allen would accumulate 24 victories, but would concede 35 defeats, including 4 in overtime. The young Cayden Primeau would be the reserve goalie – Samuel Montembeault was not in the lineup of the Canadian at the time of the simulation – and for his part would conclude the season with a record of 15 wins, 11 losses and an efficiency rate of , 922… Not so bad for the young man!

Among the players, Nick Suzuki, who has just agreed with the organization for the next eight years, would end the campaign at the top of the team’s scoring standings with 67 points, including 13 goals. He would be followed by Brendan Gallagher (64 points), as well as Jonathan Drouin and Tyler Toffoli (30 points). Gallagher would be the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge’s top scorer with 30 goals. Young Cole Caufield, meanwhile, would thread the needle 15 times and collect 43 points in 82 games. That wouldn’t be enough to win the Calder Trophy, however, which in both simulations went to his Anaheim Ducks friend Trevor Zegras. Unsurprisingly, Jeff Petry would be the Canadiens’ best defender with 46 points and a +19 rating.

Honorable mention also to back Joel Edmundson, who would win the Bill Masterton Trophy, awarded to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and passion for hockey.

Now let’s repeat the exercise, but with Carey Price. It’s crazy how things change!

First, the Canadian would be the big spring dance. Marc Bergevin’s team would finish third in the Atlantic Division with 100 points (47-29-6), ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs and behind the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. In the East, CH would be the fourth best formation. It’s day and night with the previous simulation.

In season, Tyler Toffoli would be the best scorer in CH with a harvest of 57 points, including 28 goals, also making him the top scorer in the team. Suzuki would end the campaign with 45 points and Caufield with 46, including 10 goals.

Price and Allen would split the net relatively evenly and the two goalkeepers would have an efficiency rating of over .920. The duo would also be awarded the William M. Jennings trophy, awarded to the goalkeepers of the team having conceded the fewest goals during the season (minimum 25 games played).

Unfortunately, the Habs would lose in the first round of the playoffs, in seven games, against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Joel Armia would particularly shine in this series with seven fewer in seven games, making him the club’s leading scorer during this period.

If one thing is unanimous in both simulations, it’s that the Tampa Bay Lightning will win their third Stanley Cup in three years. Remember that a few days ago, EA Sports carried out its simulation of the official season on NHL 22 and that the same Lightning was crowned champion. So that’s three different simulations which gives us the same result!

What do you think ? Is EA getting it right? Will Tampa repeat the feat? Will the CH be able to get its head out of the water? Let us know in the comments.