It’s inevitable, especially in a lockout situation. Simulations of the National Hockey League season will be carried out, over and over and over again. Some use the most sophisticated computer software with tons and tons of date inputted. Some will be carried out on video games. Ours at Vintage Hockey Cards Report was carried out in the simplest manner, but probably the truest in the end, by rolling the dice.
No, the full season, game by game, was not painstakingly rolled out. We simply gave each of the 30 teams 12 rolls of two dice and totalled the points. With the salary cap and Bettman’s parody throughout the league, it really does come down to a roll of the dice.
It was a tight battle right to the end. The Flyers took the Atlantic Division and were tops in the Eastern Conference. Montreal took the Northeast by one point over the Bruins in a tight division that was seperated by just eleven points. Carolina was tops in the Southeast, a division that remains the weakest, even in a random simulation. Last year’s Stanley Cup finalist, the New Jersey Devils, finished last in the East.
In the West, Phoenix was the only team in the NHL to reach 100 points. Bettman’s Coyotes finished first in the Pacific Division, 15 points ahead of second place Los Angeles. Phoenix captured the President’s Trophy as the NHL’s overall leader during the regular season. Chicago and Detroit battled right to the end with the Blackhawks taking the Central Division by two points. The Flames topped the Avalanche by two points in the Northwest. It looks like it’s time for change in Nashville with the Predators finishing dead last in the league.
Notably absent from post-season contention are the Capitals and Penguins in the East and the Canucks in the West. Below is the full final standings from the sim. The Stanley Cup playoffs are complete and will be presented in a few days. What goes on in the playoffs is nothing more than disgusting in the end…
Note: tiebreaker games were played between the Rangers and Leafs and the Islanders and Jets with Toronto and Winnipeg winning their games.
Because of formatting, you may need to scroll to the right to get the totals…
| Rolls | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Total |
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||
| Atlantic Division | |||||||||||||
| Philadelphia Flyers | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 97 |
| New York Rangers | 7 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 93 |
| New York Islanders | 5 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 87 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 72 |
| New Jersey Devils | 6 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 69 |
| Northeast Division | |||||||||||||
| Montreal Canadiens | 6 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 96 |
| Boston Bruins | 7 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 95 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 9 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 94 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 8 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 93 |
| Ottawa Senators | 8 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 85 |
| Southeast Division | |||||||||||||
| Carolina Hurricanes | 10 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 90 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 5 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 87 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 4 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 85 |
| Washington Capitals | 7 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 74 |
| Florida Panthers | 4 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 71 |
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||
| Central Division | |||||||||||||
| Chicago Blackhawks | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 92 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 6 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 90 |
| St. Louis Blues | 5 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 86 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 2 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 84 |
| Nashville Predators | 8 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 67 |
| Northwest Division | |||||||||||||
| Calgary Flames | 4 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 90 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 8 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 88 |
| Minnesota Wild | 7 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 83 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 75 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 74 |
| Pacific Division | |||||||||||||
| Phoenix Coyotes | 11 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 100 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 6 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 85 |
| San Jose Sharks | 10 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 83 |
| Dallas Stars | 7 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 82 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 9 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 81 |
| Eastern Conference | |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 97 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 96 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 90 |
| Boston Bruins | 95 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 94 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 93 |
| New York Rangers | 93 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 87 |
| New York Islanders | 87 |
| Ottawa Senators | 85 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 85 |
| Washington Capitals | 74 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 72 |
| Florida Panthers | 71 |
| New Jersey Devils | 69 |
| Western Conference | |
| Phoenix Coyotes | 100 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 92 |
| Calgary Flames | 90 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 90 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 88 |
| St. Louis Blues | 86 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 85 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 84 |
| Minnesota Wild | 83 |
| San Jose Sharks | 83 |
| Dallas Stars | 82 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 81 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 75 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 74 |
| Nashville Predators | 67 |