Pittsburgh will be Titletown once again in 2010!

EA SPORTS used its NHL10 video game to predict that the Penguins will successful defend the Stanley Cup against the Chicago Blackhawks next June. Pittsburgh will win the series in six games with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury capturing the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

To reach the Final, the Blackhawks exacted revenge on their Central Division rival Detroit, eliminating the Red Wings in five games.

The Carolina Hurricanes, the 2006 Cup champs, won their first Presidents' Trophy, and the Florida Panthers continued their surge to reach the postseason for the first time since 1999-2000. Fans in Canada won't like this prediction, however -- Calgary and Vancouver were the only playoff teams from North of the border.

Sidney Crosby of Pittsburgh will post 102 points and win his second career Hart Memorial Trophy. Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf will take home the Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion with 107 points, and Ilya Kovalchuk of Atlanta earns his second career Maurice Richard Trophy with a League-leading 57 goals. Calgary's Dion Phaneuf, the cover subject of NHL09, will win the Norris Trophy as the most outstanding defenseman.

2009-10 Final standings

Eastern Conference	W	L	OTL	PTS
p-Carolina	54	23	5	113
y-Boston	49	25	8	106
y-Pittsburgh	47	28	7	101
x-New Jersey	46	29	7	99
x-Washington	47	31	6	98
x-NY Rangers	45	31	6	96
x-Philadelphia	42	32	8	92
x-Florida	40	33	9	89
---
Tampa Bay	40	38	4	84
Montreal	37	36	9	83
Ottawa	39	39	4	82
Toronto	36	37	9	81
Buffalo	34	37	11	79
Atlanta	34	42	6	74
NY Islanders	31	41	10	72
Western Conference	W	L	OTL	PTS
z-Chicago	54	26	2	110
y-San Jose	49	26	7	105
y-Calgary	47	30	5	99
x-Columbus	48	27	7	103
x-Los Angeles	46	30	6	98
x-Vancouver	43	29	10	96
x-Anaheim	43	30	9	95
x-Detroit	39	34	9	87
---
Nashville	39	35	8	86
St Louis	39	39	4	82
Phoenix	37	40	5	79
Edmonton	34	39	9	77
Minnesota	31	36	15	77
Dallas	33	43	6	72
Colorado	27	44	11	65

x - Clinched Playoff spot
y - Clinched Division
z - Clinched Conference
p - Clinched Presidents' Trophy

The EA SPORTS simulation was conducted by artificial intelligence or logic of the video game that uses real-life data from each player. Results are extrapolated by the video game when two teams are matched up based on player ratings, line combinations, and include variances such as injuries and hot streaks to give a realistic outcome of a game or series.

To learn more about NHL10 from EA SPORTS, click here.

Contact Rocky Bonanno at rbonanno@nhl.com