The N*if*HL: “I’m Going To Build My Own NHL With Blackjack and Hookers”
With COVID-19 causing a suspension – or as Uncle Gary B would like to say: *pausing* – of the National Hockey League, there are questions on when and maybe even if we will see the completion of the 2019-20 season. If things improve in the next 30 to 60 days, there is a solid chance that we could see some sort of completion, but what that might look like will be anyone’s guess.
I myself am not the type to wait around to have other people figure it out. Also with no actual sports on my TV, I am bored as heck. Thankfully, I have a copy of EA Sports’ NHL 20 and with all this time on my hands, I’ve realized that we don’t even need actual hockey* when I can just simulate the rest of the season on my XBox!
So that is what we’ll have here every night until the real thing comes back, or until we play this whole thing out to the awarding for the Stanley Cup in June.
All games from the time of the league suspension (March 12, 2020) will be simulated using NHL 20 and the rosters that were set by EA on February 25, 2020. (If EA updates the rosters again, the latest roster update will be used.) Games will be computer simmed (no player input on either team) with eight minute periods at Superstar level – this seemed to produce the most realistic result with goals and shots.
(Also one note about standings: I’m already committing way more time to this than my wife thinks is sane by letting my XBox play out all these games while I am wait for the answers to the ultimate questions of life, the universe, and why people keep leaving Alex Ovechkin open on the power play… So I’m not going to figure out points percentages and all that jazz because wins and regulation wins will end up being the tiebreakers. So no messaging me on Twitter about how the Islanders should be in the second wild card spot over the Blue Jackets. Right now I don’t care *that* much.)
And of course being that this is a Jets blog, emphasis on these nightly recaps will focus on the Jets push for a playoff spot… But you’ll see that later tonight.
(* I am very much kidding, please come back hockey. We need you.)
Playing a little bit of catch-up…
So obviously this post was published on Saturday morning and we’ve gone two full nights without hockey already, so there is some catching up we need to do. Here’s how Thursday the 12th, and Friday the 13th would have played out had we actual NHL action playing…
The Scoreboard
(For March 12, 2020)
NASHVILLE PREDATORS | 3 |
1st: F. Forsberg (R. Johansen, M. Granlund) (6:59) 2nd: C. Smith (N. Bonino, R. Grimaldi) (16:21) 3rd: F. Forsberg (K. Turris, M. Duchene) (6:14) | |
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS | 0 |
Predators Shutout: P. Rinne – 37 Saves |
Buffalo Sabres | 2 |
1st: No Scoring 2nd: J. Eichel (S. Reinhart) (1:34) 3rd: C. Lazar (W. Simmonds, J. Skinner) (11:22) | |
Montreal Canadiens | 5 |
1st: P. Danault (S. Weber, B. Chiarot) (1:25) | J. Weal (M. Domi) (5:25) | A. Lehkonen (M. Domi) (14:52) | N. Suzuki (Unassisted) (17:06) 2nd: No Scoring 3rd: M. Domi (P. Danault, J. Petry) (ENG) (19:42) |
Philadelphia Flyers | 1 |
1st: No Scoring 2nd: K. Hayes (M. Niskanen, T. Konecny) (3:26) 3rd: No Scoring | |
Tampa Bay Lightning | 4 |
1st: No Scoring 2nd: A. Cirelli (A. Killorn) (9:32) | S. Stamkos (B. Point) (13:46) (PPG) 3rd: V. Hedman (E. Cernak, A. Cirelli) (5:19) | P. Maroon (Unassisted) (10:04) |
Carolina Hurricanes (OT) | 2 |
1st: J. Staal (J. Williams, W. Foegele) (18:42) 2nd: No Scoring 3rd: No Scoring OT: A. Svechnikov (Unassisted) 2:03 | |
New Jersey Devils | 1 |
1st: No Scoring 2nd: J. Bratt (N. Gusev, N. Merkley) (12:07) 3rd: No Scoring |
Detroit Red Wings | 1 |
1st: No Scoring 2nd: No Scoring 3rd: V. Filppula (T. Bertuzzi) (6:32) | |
Washington Capitals | 6 |
1st: J. Vrana (T. Oshie, B. Dillon) (1:11) | I. Kovalchuk (A. Ovechkin, N. Jensen) (4:28) | A. Ovechkin (E. Kuznetsonv, T. Wilson) (17:49) 2nd: N. Backstrom (A. Ovechkin, J. Carlson) (6:31) (PPG) | J. Vrana (T. Oshie) (14:42) 3rd: C. Hagelin (L. Eller, G. Hathaway) (16:36) |
Pittsburgh Penguins | 3 |
1st: No Scoring 2nd: B. Rust (E. Malkin, J. Schultz) (4:37) 3rd: K. Letang (P. Hornqvist, B. Rust) (2:53) (PPG) | S. Crosby (J. Zucker) (18:42) | |
Columbus Blue Jackets | 2 |
1st: B. Jenner (N. Gerbe) (11:24) 2nd: N. Foligno (P. Dubois, G. Nyquist) (16:02) 3rd: No Scoring |
Vegas Golden Knights | 2 |
1st: No Scoring 2nd: J. Marchessault (R. Smith) (6:42) | N. Schmidt (W. Karlsson, M. Stone) (15: 28) 3rd: No Scoring | |
Minnesota Wild | 1 |
1st: No Scoring 2nd: No Scoring 3rd: Z. Parise (M. Koivu) (7:19) |
Florida Panthers | 0 |
Stars Shutout: B. Bishop – 42 Saves | |
Dallas Stars | 2 |
1st: J. Benn (D. Gurianov, E. Lindell) (15:03) 2nd: No Scoring 3rd: M. Heiskanen (M. Janmark, D. Gurianov (PPG)) (8:37) |
NY Islanders | 3 |
1st: A. Lee (M. Barzal, J. Eberle) (3:48) | B. Nelson (Unassisted) 19:21 2nd: No Scoring 3rd: M. Dal Colle (D. Toews, J. Pageau) (10:08) | |
Calgary Flames (SO) | 4 |
1st: A. Mangiapae (M. Tkachuk, M. Backlund) (12:52) 2nd: M. Lucic (D. Dube) (16:27) | E. Lindholm (J. Gaudreau, T. Brodie) (18:06) 3rd: No Scoring Flames win shootout 2-1 |
Vancouver Canucks | 1 |
1st: No Scoring 2nd: B. Horvat (T. Pearson, Q. Hughes) (14:51) 3rd: No Scoring | |
Arizona Coyotes | 3 |
1st: No Scoring 2nd: C. Keller (N. Schmaltz) (7:22) 3rd: C. Keller (D. Sephan, N. Schmaltz) (3:11) | T. Hall (C. Garland, A. Goligoski) (19:38) (ENG) |
(For March 13, 2020)
Boston Bruins | 4 |
1st: D. Pastrnak (B. Marchand) (0:53) | B. Marchand (T. Krug, J. DeBrusk) (12:51) (PPG) 2nd: P. Bergeron (T. Krug C. Coyle) (3:26) (PPG) 3rd: C. McAvoy (K. Kuhlman, J. Debrusk) (2:48) | |
Buffalo Sabres | 2 |
1st: J. Vessey (M. Johansson, B. Montour) (5:27) 2nd: No Scoring 3rd: S. Reinhart (R. Dahlin, J. Eichel) (14:48) (PPG) |
San Jose Sharks | 1 |
1st: No Scoring 2nd: K. Lablanc (Unassisted) (5:57) 3rd: No Scoring | |
St. Louis Blues | 4 |
1st: R. Thomas (D. Perron) (4:29) | A. Steen (J. Kyrou, C. Parayko) (5:53) | C. Gunnarsson (A. Pietrangelo, R. O’Reilly) (17:47) 2nd: R. O’Reilly (D. Perron, B. Schenn) (12:57) (PPG) 3rd: No Scoring |
Ottawa Senators | 1 |
1st: No Scoring 2nd: C. Tierney (C. Brown) (16:35) 3rd: No Scoring | |
Chicago Blackhawks | 2 |
1st: No Scoring 2nd: No Scoring 3rd: B. Saad (P. Kane, K. Dach) (1:29) | A. Debrincat (K. Dach, C. Murphy) (4:32) |
Vancouver Canucks | 2 |
1st: No Scoring 2nd: A. Roussel (J. Virtanen, T. Toffoli) (16:23) 3rd: T. Toffoli (B. Horvat, Q. Hughes) (18:49) (PPG) | |
Colorado Avalanche (OT) | 3 |
1st: J. Compher (Unassisted) (10:52) | G. Landeskog (C. Makar, V. Nichushkin) (18:02) (PPG) 2nd: No Scoring 3rd: No Scoring OT: N. Mackinnon (G. Landeskog) (4:26) |
NY Islanders | 0 |
Oilers Shutout: M. Smith – 28 Saves | |
Edmonton Oilers | 4 |
1st: L. Draisaitl (R. Nugent-Hopkins) (7:52) | A. Athanasiou (C. McDavid, E. Bear) (12:38) | C. McDavid (D. Nurse, L. Draisaitl) (17:04) (PPG) 2nd: No Scoring 3rd: R. Shehan (T. Ennis, J. Archibald) (3:52) |
The Standings
(After games played March 13, 2020)
Eastern Conference | ||||||
Atlantic Division | ||||||
GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | RoW | |
Boston Bruins | 71 | 45 | 14 | 12 | 102 | 45 |
Tampa Bay Lightning | 71 | 44 | 21 | 6 | 94 | 42 |
Toronto Maple Leafs | 71 | 36 | 26 | 9 | 81 | 35 |
Florida Panthers | 70 | 35 | 27 | 8 | 78 | 32 |
Montreal Canadiens | 72 | 32 | 31 | 9 | 73 | 28 |
Buffalo Sabres | 71 | 30 | 33 | 8 | 68 | 28 |
Ottawa Senators | 72 | 25 | 35 | 12 | 62 | 24 |
Detroit Red Wings | 72 | 17 | 50 | 5 | 39 | 14 |
Metropolitan Division | ||||||
GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | RoW | |
Washington Capitals | 70 | 42 | 20 | 8 | 92 | 38 |
Philadelphia Flyers | 70 | 41 | 22 | 7 | 89 | 36 |
Pittsburgh Penguins | 70 | 41 | 23 | 6 | 88 | 38 |
Carolina Hurricanes (WC1) | 69 | 39 | 25 | 5 | 83 | 34 |
Columbus Blue Jackets (WC2) | 71 | 33 | 23 | 15 | 81 | 33 |
New York Islanders | 70 | 35 | 24 | 11 | 81 | 32 |
New York Rangers | 70 | 37 | 28 | 5 | 79 | 36 |
New Jersey Devils | 70 | 28 | 29 | 13 | 69 | 24 |
Western Conference | ||||||
Central Division | ||||||
GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | RoW | |
St. Louis Blues | 72 | 43 | 19 | 10 | 96 | 41 |
Colorado Avalanche | 71 | 43 | 20 | 8 | 94 | 42 |
Dallas Stars | 70 | 38 | 24 | 8 | 84 | 36 |
Winnipeg Jets (WC1) | 71 | 37 | 28 | 6 | 80 | 34 |
Nashville Predators (WC2) | 70 | 36 | 26 | 8 | 80 | 33 |
Minnesota Wild | 70 | 35 | 28 | 7 | 77 | 33 |
Chicago Blackhawks | 71 | 33 | 30 | 8 | 74 | 29 |
Pacific Division | ||||||
GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | RoW | |
Vegas Golden Knights | 72 | 40 | 24 | 8 | 88 | 37 |
Edmonton Oilers | 72 | 38 | 25 | 9 | 85 | 36 |
Calgary Flames | 71 | 37 | 27 | 7 | 81 | 30 |
Vancouver Canucks | 71 | 36 | 28 | 7 | 79 | 32 |
Arizona Coyotes | 71 | 34 | 29 | 8 | 76 | 29 |
Anaheim Ducks | 71 | 29 | 33 | 9 | 67 | 24 |
Los Angeles Kings | 70 | 29 | 35 | 6 | 64 | 28 |
San Jose Sharks | 71 | 29 | 37 | 5 | 63 | 27 |
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