2010 NHL Playoffs: The Definitive Chicago Blackhawks-Vancouver Canucks Preview

Four games.

One team scored 10 goals, the other 11.

One team took 105 shots, the other 112.

One team was whistled for 62 penalty minutes, the other 68.

One team had a .902 save percentage, the other .905.

Each team won two games. Both teams pulled their starting goalie from a game during the series.

Have I mentioned that one knocked the other out of the playoffs last year? And that the two teams admittedly hate each other?

When the Western Conference Semifinals begin in Chicago this weekend, the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks will begin the latest chapter in what is becoming one of the more edgy, physical rivalries in the NHL.

On March 29, just before the end of the regular season, the two had one of the bigger fights of the 2008-09 season. When it ended, five Blackhawks were sharing a penalty box and Alex Burrows was infamous for pulling Duncan Keith’s hair. In all, 98 penalty minutes were assessed (90 in the third period).

The two weren’t on good terms when last year’s playoffs began, and then Andrew Ladd took a high shot on Ryan Kesler. Kesler went to the ice hard, bloody, and with a sharp memory of the hit. In the sixth game, that eliminated Vancouver, then-20-year-old Patrick Kane electrified the crowd with his first NHL hat trick. After that performance, Roberto Luongo was drawn to tears in the locker room: it was as clear as the netminders tears that this series was just beginning.

This season came with not only bad blood, but a completely different set of expectations and intrigue. The Blackhawks , the youngest team in the league still, had made it all the way to the conference finals last year with almost no playoff experience. No longer would the Blackhawks be trying to upset the older, more experienced Canucks; they’re expected to win.

In January, Kesler called Ladd a coward, referring to the high hit from the playoffs. The two would fight soon after.

Then, Luongo would be teammates with Jonathan Toews , Keith and Brent Seabrook while playing for Canada, while Kane and Kesler would eventually become linemates for the United States in the Winter Olympics. Friends? Maybe for a couple weeks.

On March 3, just a couple days after the Olympics ended and the last time these two teams faced off, there were 30 penalty minutes assessed in the first period alone. Not 90, but certainly an exciting period.

Now, the two teams again approach the circle at center ice with everything on the line. Kesler and Ladd haven’t had dinner and made up. Dustin Byfuglien will have his “barcalounger” parked in front of Luongo again. This time, Chicago has the home-ice advantage and they’re the hunted. We’ll see where the script takes us in the 2010 playoffs.

Prediction: Blackhawks in six.

For more great coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks, check out Tab's blog: CommittedIndians.com!