Penalties = new feature in NHL 27?

MasterB89 wrote:

But EA stated that there is no difference between the SIM engine and in game engine compared to gameplay?

In CPU vs CPU, the game does not decide a winner directly; it lets two AI systems continuously generate inputs, and the simulation engine resolves those inputs through the same physics, rules, and probabilities—producing results that stabilize over time. 

Human VS CPU, outcomes are driven by human inputs. Ratings and AI logic act as modifiers, not drivers. Variance is higher because humans introduce inconsistency. 

Chances are there's a logic bug preventing the CPU from taking penalties in franchise mode, but that same bug doesn't exist in the game-state being used for CPU v CPU sim.