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It is commonly agreed throughout the hockey world that game four is the most crucial, most pivotal game of a playoff series. Sweeps are a rarity in today’s NHL, and as a result, after three games most series sit with one team enjoying a 2-1 lead. The team that wins game four will either put one team on the brink of elimination or knot up the series. One of these two scenarios will play out tonight in the bitterly contested series between the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks.

After soundly thrashing the Hawks 5-1 in Chicago in game one of the series, the Canucks immediately stole away home ice advantage, and had many proclaiming that their four line offensive attack was too much for the Hawks to handle.

Vancouver came back with more of the same early in game two, again seizing an early lead. However, this time around, rather than folding like a cheap tent, the Hawks showed their intestinal fortitude and scratched out a gritty, come-from-behind win that may ultimately prove to have been the difference in the series.

After the meltdown in game two Canucks fans were quick to point out that their team still had home ice advantage and the Hawks, who’d barely managed a win on home ice, would be in deep trouble once they entered the unfriendly confines of GM Place.

For the first few minutes of the game it seemed as though those prognosticators would be right. The Canucks stormed the Hawks out of the gate, and only a string of spectacular saves by Hawks’ keeper Antti Niemi kept the game scoreless in the early going. The Canucks were unable to maintain their frenzied attack, however, and when Kris Versteeg scored 5:19 in the wind seemed to go out of the sails of both the raucous crowd and the players themselves. Vancouver public enemy #1 – Dustin Byfuglien – scored a powerplay goal late in the first to stake the Hawks to a 2-0 lead. After that, the Canucks fought hard but could never seem to catch up, and when the dust finally settled the Hawks had a 5-2 victory, Byfuglien had a hat trick, and Canucks’ fans were left wondering if they were going to see yet another in a long string of post-season failures.

Leading into game four the Canucks’ players, to a man, seem determined not to let that happen. However, determination can only take a team so far. Execution and the ability to adapt are two other crucial elements that a team needs in order to be successful in the playoffs.

Priority number one for the Canucks is figuring out how to counter Chicago’s relentless net drive. Roberto Luongo was under siege all night long in game three, most notably by Byfuglien, who always seems to save his best stuff for the Canucks. Byfuglien isn’t the only Chicago forward causing headaches for Luongo though. Every single one of Chicago’s forwards, regardless of their size, has been driving the net with a ravenous hunger for loose pucks. Their grit and determination has been paying off, as Luongo has had a hard time holding onto pucks, and rebounds are there for the taking. The Vancouver defenders need to be more effective at boxing out the encroaching Blackhawk forwards earlier to give Luongo a better chance to corral pucks. This might be easier said than done in the case of big Dustin Byfuglien, but they should at least be able to keep smaller guys like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews from crashing the crease.

If they can’t manage to keep the Chicago forwards out of their own crease, then at the very least they should do their best to make Antti Niemi have to deal with the same headache that has been plaguing Luongo all series. Kesler, Burrows, Bernier and the Sedin twins have to start getting their noses a little dirtier, and figure out how to fight through the wall being put up by Chicago’s defenders and get to loose pucks in the crease.

The Canucks will also have to improve their special teams play, another key element that successful playoff teams share. Their powerplay has been ineffective so far, and at the other end, Chicago’s simple strategy of putting pucks and bodies to the net has been marvelously effective. If the Canucks can’t at least equal the Hawks’ special teams play then the uphill climb they face will begin to look more like a trek to the top of Kilimanjaro.

In my opinion, whoever wins the game tonight will ultimately win the series. If the Hawks go up 3-1 they’ll have all the momentum and have a chance of closing out the series in game 5 at home. If the Canucks can square the series at 2 then they steal the momentum from the Hawks. They nearly won both games at the United Center, and if they can get some of their swagger back with a game four victory they’d have to feel pretty good going back to Chicago.

However it pans out you can bet that tonight is going to be one of the most entertaining games of the playoffs to date. Both teams know what’s at stake here, and neither team is going to give an inch in this rivalry that is quickly shaping up to be one of the best in professional sports.

As promised yesterday when I made my picks and 2010 NHL Playoff Predictions for the Eastern Conference today is the Western Conference's turn.

Though not as tight as the Eastern Conference during the regular season the West had its fair share of compelling races, with San Jose and Chicago battling for first place, the Avalanche clinching a playoff spot late in the season, and the remarkable surge of the Red Wings down the stretch. This conference is loaded with talent, and picking first round winners is going to be a lot more difficult than it was in the East.

Since I participate in a number of hockey pools I have a vested interest in picking these winners, and have done plenty of due diligence to make sure I give myself the best chance to nab first prize. That being said, like the rest of you, I am pretty much at the mercy of the hockey gods. A hot goaltender or a single bad bounce can turn a series and completely skew the results. With that in mind here are my picks for the first round winners in the 2010 NHL playoffs:

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#1 SAN JOSE SHARKS vs #8 COLORADO AVALANCHE

San Jose has been one of the biggest enigmas in the NHL over the past half decade or so. Year after year they are one of the top teams in the Western Conference, routinely eclipsing 100 points. They always seem to have a good balance of offense, defense and strength in goal. Yes, despite this balance they can never seem to elevate their game during the playoffs, and that inability ultimately leads to them hitting the golf greens sooner than their talent level dictates they should. Getting upset in one or even two consecutive playoff years could be considered an anomaly, but when it becomes a three, four, five year streak bad luck starts to run out of fuel as an excuse.

So is this year's version of the Sharks any different? Some would argue that this year's victory by the Canadian Olympic team has helped teach players like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley, and Dan Boyle how to win. However, since that dramatic overtime victory over the United States in the gold medal game these four players have seen their respective games diminish compared to earlier in the season.

Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov has been particularly brutal since getting lit up at the Olympics, and it seems pretty evident that he is suffering from a confidence problem. This isn't a good sign, considering Nabokov seems to have enough problems come playoff time as it is.

The Avalanche, on the other hand, have nothing to lose. At the start of the season they were picked to finish either 14th or 15th in the Western Conference. Over the course of the season they've surprised everyone by staying in the thick of the playoff race. However, over the last quarter of the season they've also seen their play tail off and they ultimately had to fight tooth and nail to stave off the Calgary Flames and hold onto the final playoff spot in the West.

Up front the Avs have plenty of young talent, with Paul Stastny, Matt Duschene, Chris Stewart, and Peter Mueller all capable of putting the puck in the net. Milan Hejduk will be expected to provide some veteran leadership to the forward core, something missing with the retirement of former Avs captain Joe Sakic this past off-season.

Colorado's defensive core is solid with veterans like Adam Foote and Scott Hannan providing a steadying influence for John-Michael Liles, Kyle Quincey and Ryan Wilson. Their combination of experience and speed should make life difficult on San Jose's powerful offensive weapons.

The biggest surprise for the Avalanche this season was the emergence of goaltender Craig Anderson. A back-up last season with the Florida Panthers, Anderson showed early on this season he was ready to star in a number one role, and his play, more than any other factor, is the main reason the Avs managed to exceed everyone's expectations this season. Anderson's game has fallen off a bit towards the end of the season, so it will be interesting to see if he can regain his form.

It is an intriguing match-up, but ultimately I think San Jose's depth will be too much for the young Avalanche. With the way they've played down the stretch and with the shaky goaltending of Nabokov I don't think the Sharks have what it takes to beat the top teams in the West. However, they will at least get out of the first round before crumbling once again.

PREDICTION: San Jose wins the series 4 to 2

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#2 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS vs #7 NASHVILLE PREDATORS

It just goes to show how incredibly powerful the teams in the Western Conference are when the 7th seeded team still managed to reach the 100 point plateau. Normally 2 vs 7 looks pretty one-sided (on paper). That isn't the case here, and the word upset doesn't really even apply when the two teams involved are this good.

Many are saying this is the Chicago Blackhawks' year, and when you look at their talented core of forwards you can see why. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were arguably the best players for their respective teams at the winter Olympics, and they've both been stellar for the Hawks all season long. Any team would be over the moon to boast two stars of such caliber. The Hawks' offense doesn't stop with Toews and Kane though. They have a third bona fide superstar in Marian Hossa, and Patrick Sharp, Dustin Byfuglien and Kris Versteeg are all more than capable of contributing on any given night.

As good as the Hawks are up front their defensive core might be even better. Defenseman Duncan Keith finished second in team scoring with 69 points, and will likely compete with Mike Green of the Washington Capitals and Drew Doughty of the Kings for this season's Norris Trophy. Keith is joined by fellow Canadian Olympian Brent Seabrook, and Brian Campbell. These three will eat up a ton of minutes during the playoffs and their speed, skill, strength and poise with the puck will make it difficult for Nashville's forwards to establish a cycle.

In goal the picture for the Blackhawks starts to get murky. Cristobal Huet was supposed to take the reins as the number one guy following the departure of Nikolai Khabibulin. However, it is arguably Antti Niemi who has stolen the job. Niemi had a sparkling 26-7-4 record with an impressive 7 shutouts this season. However, he was at times inconsistent and his inexperience might be telling before all is said and done.

Nashville is a team that very much mirrors the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference. They don't feature any true game breakers, but get offense by committee from players like Jason Arnott, Steve Sullivan, Patrick Hornqvist, Martin Erat and J.P. Dumont. With the wealth spread around it makes it difficult for Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville to find a target for his top d pair of Keith and Seabrook.

On defense the Predators are strong, and Kane and Toews will have to battle against stars like Shea Weber, Dan Hamhuis and Ryan Suter if they want to get to the net. Look for Weber, in particular, to play huge minutes and dole out plenty of physical punishment along the way.

In net the Preds look good as well, with Pekka Rinne establishing himself as one of the top tenders in the league. The 6' 5" Finnish goalie matched Niemi with 7 shutouts this season, and his 32-16-5 record is certainly respectable. If Rinne happens to stumble the Predators have the luxury of throwing in Dan Ellis, Nashville's former #1 and a pretty darn good goalie in his own right.

Overall this should be a bitterly contested series and look for pests like Jordin Tootoo and Adam Burish to play as large a role as their superstar teammates. Ultimately, I think the Hawks just have too much talent from top to bottom for Nashville to overcome. The Preds will give it a valiant effort, but won't make it out of round one this year.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks win the series 4-2

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#3 VANCOUVER CANUCKS vs #6 LOS ANGELES KINGS

With all due respect to the L.A. Kings in my opinion this will be the biggest mismatch in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Yes, I know the Kings handily drubbed the Nucks 8-3 in their final meeting of the season, but that won't matter a hill of beans once the puck drops on this series.

Up front the Canucks are led by Art Ross Trophy winner Henrik Sedin, and his twin brother Daniel. Had Daniel not missed 19 games due to injury this season there is a good chance the brothers might have been sitting one-two in league scoring at the end of the regular season. Together they are arguably the most dynamic duo in the league, routinely making almost impossible to defend no look passes, resulting in highlight reel goals.

However, the Canucks' offensive depth doesn't stop at these two talented Swedish stars. Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows, formerly third line grinders, have come into their own as offensive stars, scoring 75 and 67 points respectively this season. Mikael Samuelsson, Mason Raymond, Pavol Demitra, Steve Bernier, and Kyle Wellwood all have plenty of potential to put the puck in the net as well. Suffice it to say this team will have no problem scoring.

On defense the team is sturdy with Christian Ehrhoff, Kevin Bieksa, Alexander Edler and Sami Salo comprising the top 4. Unfortunately for the Canucks shutdown specialist Willie Mitchell is still out with a concussion suffered when he was hit from behind by the Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin. However, even with Malkin out the Canucks look strong on the blueline, and with backchecking support from players like Burrows and Kesler the Canucks will be a hard team to score against on the rush.

Between the pipes the Canucks have Roberto Luongo, and how he plays will ultimately determine the playoff fate of the Canucks. In years past Luongo has been far and away the Nucks' best player, and it has been an anemic offense that has ultimately done them in. Ironically, this year when the Canucks are enjoying their most powerfully offensive team in years Luongo is actually having an off-year by his standards. He has struggled to find consistency, and seems to let in at least one weak goal every night. If he can return to previous form the Canucks have to be considered a strong Stanley Cup contender.

Though they might look clearly overmatched the Kings certainly aren't going to roll over and play dead for the Canucks. They have a good young team of their own, and their recent 8-3 drubbing of the Canucks will give them plenty of confidence entering this series.

On offense they might not have the firepower of the Canucks, but Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Alexander Frolov, Jarret Stoll and Michal Handzus are all threats. Look for veteran Ryan Smyth to spend plenty of time in Luongo's crease. By the end of the series Roberto is going to be able to pick Smyth's back end out of a line-up.

On defense the Kings boast young phenom Canadian Olympian and Norris Trophy favorite Drew Doughty. Doughty finished second in team scoring with 59 points, was a +20 and quarterbacked the Kings' powerplay. Doughty will play huge minutes against the Canucks, and you can bet will be a big factor throughout the series. Jack Johnson, though he has been overshadowed by Doughty, is another offensive threat from the back end and the Canucks back-checkers will have to be aware of him jumping up in the rush on a regular basis.

In net the Kings will rely on Jonathan Quick. At only 24 years of age Quick seems pretty young to carry the load he does (he played in 72 games this season), however he seems so far to be up to the task, posting 39 wins, 4 shutouts and a 2.54 goals against average this season.

Though the Kings are a young team with a bright future ahead of them I don't think they are there yet. The Canucks simply outmatch them at every position, and unless Luongo really stumbles I don't see how the Kings can possibly win this series.

PREDICTION: Canucks win the series 4-1

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#4 PHOENIX COYOTES vs #5 DETROIT RED WINGS

At the beginning of the season if I had told you that the Phoenix Coyotes would have home ice advantage in a first round playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings you would have said I was nuts, and with good reason. The Coyotes franchise was in turmoil and most pundits were picking them to finish dead last in the league. The Red Wings, on the other hand, were coming off their second straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and though starting to get long in the tooth, still boasted plenty of star power. Well, Phoenix proved everyone wrong, and Detroit proved that no matter what coaches and players say about making excuses, injuries play a huge factor in a team's fate.

When you look at Phoenix's forwards you are forced to wonder how this group accomplished what it did this season. Only one player - Wojtek Wolski - eclipsed the 60 point barrier, and he earned the bulk of those as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. However, the Coyotes, led by captain Shane Doan, seemed to have every one of their forwards contributing this season, and that depth of scoring, despite the lack of a true go-to guy, helped keep Phoenix in the mix all season long.

On defense, Keith Yandle stepped up in a big way, providing a surprising amount of offense with 41 points. Ed Jovanovski had one of his best seasons in years, and Adrian Aucoin continued to show he still has plenty to offer at age 36, potting 28 points of his own from the back end.

However, aside from perhaps the coaching of surefire Jack Adams winner Dave Tippett, the main reason the Yotes finished 4th in the conference was the great play of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. Though many have already handed Ryan Miller the Vezina I think Bryzgalov should get his fair share of consideration. Bryzgalov's stats were impressive in all categories with 42 wins, 8 shutouts, 2.29 GAA and a stingy .920 save percentage. If he can keep up his level of play then Phoenix might just continue their Cinderella run this season.

The vaunted Wings offense seemed like they had a cylinder misfiring for much of the season. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg both had off years statistically, and players like Johan Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom and Valtteri Filppula all missed time with injuries. However, with their forward core back and healthy for the first time all season the Red Wings offensive core is once again firing on all cylinders, and Phoenix will have their hands full defending against this talented puck possession team.

On defense the Wings are led once again by man-machine Nicklas Lidstrom. Though his game has tailed off to the point where he is no longer in the conversation for the Norris Trophy, Lidstrom still remains one of the game's best defensemen and he will have a huge impact on the Red Wings Stanley Cup hopes. He is backed up admirably by Brian Rafalski, Nicklas Kronvall, and Brad Stuart and Andreas Lilja.

The biggest question mark for the Wings, as seems to be the case every year, is between the pipes. Rookie Jimmy Howard has taken over the #1 job from Chris Osgood, who had helped steer the Wings to the Stanley Cup Finals in each of the past two seasons. As good as Howard has been this season, you can bet he will have a short leash and Osgood will go in if there is any sign that Howard is cracking under the playoff pressure.

In the end I think the experience of the Red Wings will get it done. I don't think they will make it past the second round, but they still have enough leadership and skill to reach the quarterfinals. The Coyotes have proved everyone wrong just by getting here, but I think their Cinderella story is about to come to an end.

PREDICTION: Detroit wins the series 4-2

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Hockey writers are going to have some tough decisions this year when it comes to voting on the NHL awards. However, no decision is going to be tougher than picking the Hart Trophy winner for 2010.

Every year there are several worthwhile candidates, but most seasons there is a clear favorite who separates himself from the rest of the pack to clearly establish himself as the most valuable player to his team. 2010 is a whole different animal though.

This year there are four choices that could conceivably capture the title, and few would bat an eye if any one of them walked away from this spring’s NHL awards with the hardware.

Alexander Ovechkin

Ovechkin is the two-time defending Hart Trophy champion and at the midway point of the season most were picking him to make it a three-peat. He has had another dominant season, and has been among the league leaders in goals, points and plus-minus all season long. He also assumed the mantle of captain and has flourished in a leadership role. However, apart from his massive hit on Jaromir Jagr, Ovechkin had a relatively poor Olympics, and Team Russia’s failure at the games in Vancouver seems to have given Ovie a bit of a hangover ever since he returned to Washington.

He went into the Olympics with a healthy lead in the scoring race, and most were ready to hand him the Art Ross Trophy at that point. However, since he has returned he has seen Henrik Sedin erase the point spread between them, and it is now Ovechkin who is looking up, trailing Sedin by 3 points.

Even if he doesn’t win the scoring race Ovechkin still has a great shot at a 3rd consecutive Hart. His league-leading +43 rating, his league-leading points-per-game average, his leadership, and his punishing physical play will earn him plenty of votes in this year’s race. However, the fact that he gets to play with such stars as Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Alexander Semin on a nightly basis might weigh against him when the final votes are tallied.

Sidney Crosby

The 2009-10 season has been yet another compelling chapter in the ongoing debate about who is the best player in the game today. Crosby’s trophy case isn’t quite on par with Ovechkin’s personal hardware collection, but when he became the youngest player to captain his team to a Stanley Cup last spring he sure livened up the debate again.

This year, Crosby has completely reinvented his game, driving the net more, and shooting consistently rather than trying to look for a trailing player to dish the puck to. The result has been nothing short of spectacular. Crosby’s lack of scoring touch has often been pointed to as a weakness in his game in the past, but his naysayers are eating a large helping of crow right now. With 47 goals he is currently sitting first in the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy, and with several games still to play should have no problem reaching the magical 50 goal plateau for the first time in his career.

At this point it doesn’t look like Crosby can get his mitts on the Art Ross – he currently trails Henrik Sedin by 10 points - but he should finish in the top 3 in league scoring. With Evgeni Malkin having an off year Crosby’s offense has been of paramount importance to his team, and he has delivered consistently throughout the year, despite the fact that he has had to battle against the league’s toughest defensive forwards. As of now the Pittsburgh Penguins are currently sitting in first in the tough Atlantic division, and Crosby is the main reason for that. Remember, the Hart goes to the player deemed to be most valuable to his team, so despite Ovechkin’s and Sedin’s statistical edge I believe he is very much in the mix to capture the 2010 Hart Trophy.

Henrik Sedin

For years this Swedish star, along with twin brother Daniel Sedin, has been maligned by the press and fans alike for his inability to take his game to the next level and become one of the game’s true elite. Though he had been remarkably consistent over the course of his career he hadn’t been able to produce at better than a point a game clip.

All that changed with the start of the 2009-10 season. With the ink barely dry on a rich new contract, Henrik Sedin wasted no time showing his critics he was ready to assume the mantle of NHL superstar. Through the bulk of the season he has sat either first or second in league scoring. Even when brother Daniel went down with injury, Henrik kept producing with barely a blip, and over the season he, Daniel and Alex Burrows have arguably been the best line in the NHL.

At the time of this writing Sedin currently leads the NHL with 104 points, and with the way he has been putting points on the board lately (and the way Ovechkin has not) there is a very good chance he’ll make me eat my words – I wrote that Sedin had blown his shot at the Art Ross prior to the Olympic break – and become the first player in Vancouver Canucks history to win the NHL scoring title.

Add in a healthy +36 rating, and the fact that Sedin leads the league in assists by a wide margin and you’ve got some compelling arguments to hand Henrik Sedin the Hart Trophy. In my mind, this guy deserves it. Vancouver is a bona fide Stanley Cup contender with him in the lineup. Without him, I think they’d have their hands full making the playoffs. If he can stave off Ovechkin and win the scoring title he may just be able to add first Canuck to win the Hart Trophy as well.

Ryan Miller

Though some argue that goaltenders don’t belong in the Hart Race – that the Vezina should be enough for them – I think in special cases an exception should be made. Yes, if the definition of the Hart Trophy is adhered to – most valuable to his team – a goaltender should win the award every season. Obviously that is not the case, so other considerations come into play. However, if a goalie has such a dominant season that is abundantly clear that his team would be in dire straits without him, then a goalie should be considered. Miller’s Buffalo Sabres already saw that happen twice in the 90s when Dominik Hasek captured back to back Hart Trophies during the peak of his incredible career. Granted, Miller hasn’t quite been the brick wall that Hasek was, but he has been hands down the best goalie in the league this season, and is the sole reason Buffalo is not only in a playoff spot, but has a healthy lead in their division, putting them in the number 3 spot in the Eastern Conference. Yes, it would be a bit of a surprise if Miller took home the hardware, but don’t be shocked if he gets his fair share of votes along the way.

There you have it, the top 4 Hart Trophy favorites for the 2009-10 season. There are arguably more candidates, including another two goaltenders in Craig Anderson and Ilya Bryzgalov, but the vast majority of the first place votes will be split between these four guys. It will be very interesting to see which of them finishes on top this time around.