With the Stanley Cup going to the Chicago Blackhawks on June 9 in Philadelphia, it's time to take a look back on the top 10 award-worthy performances from the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs from around the league. Despite getting bounced early from the dance, did NHL greats like Pittsburgh's Sid "The Kid" Crosby and Washington's Alex "The Great" Ovechkin do enough to make the list? Or did new faces like Chicago's Dustin Byfuglien and Philly's Ville Leino bump them from the noteworthy roster? Read on to find out who did or didn't make the cut. — Robert Picarello

Jonathan Toews played well beyond his years in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 22-year-old center was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy at the conclusion of the playoffs after scoring 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 22 games. Toews' totals tied the franchise record for most postseason points in a season set by Hall of Famer Denis Savard during the 1985 playoffs. The NHL's postseason MVP also had a franchise-best 13-game points streak from April 22 to May 23, registering 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) for the 'Hawks during that span.

Danny Briere could have easily skated home with the Conn Smythe trophy at the conclusion of the 2010 postseason. The Flyers' pivot was that good during Philly's run to the Cup finals. Briere closed out the campaign as the NHL's leading scorer in the playoffs, posting 30 points in 23 games off 12 goals and 18 assists. Briere's dozen points in the finals was one point shy of Wayne Gretzky's NHL record set 22 years ago when "The Great One" netted 13 points for the Oilers against the Bruins.
 

Jaroslav Halak was a wall for the Canadiens during their shocking run to the Eastern Conference Finals. Halak's unconscious play during the playoffs helped the Habs beat the Washington Capitals — the best team in the league during the regular season, the Pittsburgh Penguins — the defending Cup champions, which punched Montreal's ticket to the conference finals for the first time in 17 years. Halak finished with the best save percentage (.923) in the playoffs and second-best goals-against-average (2.55).

Michael Leighton was lights out on most nights for the Flyers during the team's surprising surge to the Finals. The 29-year-old finished the postseason with an 8-3 record in 14 appearances. Leighton's 2.46 GAA in the playoffs was tops in the league, while his .916 save percentage was the second best among all postseason netminders.

Dustin Byfuglien was a force to be reckoned with every night in the 2010 playoffs. Not only did the 6-foot-4, 257-pound winger throw his weight around, he also potted some very important goals for the Blackhawks during their championship run. Of the 11 postseason goals Byfuglien scored five came on the power play, one came in overtime and five were game-winners.
 

Chris Pronger re-established himself as one of the NHL's premier blueliners during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. The 35-year-old veteran not only got it done every night for the Flyers against the opposition's top-line players, he also closed out the year as the league's top-scoring defenseman in the playoffs, posting 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 23 games. Pronger's final postseason numbers tied the Flyers' playoff record for a defenseman set back in 1987 by Doug Crossman (4-14-18 in 26 games).
 

With snipers such as Dany Heatley and Joe Thornton unable to find the back of the net during the postseason, where would the Sharks have been without Joe Pavelski? The San Jose center picked up 17 points in 15 games for the Sharks, helping the team advance to the Western Conference finals for the second time in franchise history. During his hot playoff streak, Pavelski became the first player since Mario Lemieux in 1992 to have three consecutive two-goal games.
 

Two young guns, Chicago's Patrick Kane and Philadelphia's Ville Leino, performed like postseason veterans — especially in the Cup finals — during the 2010 NHL playoffs. Kane finished with the third-most points (28) in the league during the playoffs, while Leino's 21 points in 19 games led all rookies in scoring.

Michael Cammalleri's hot hand during the playoffs powered the Canadiens all the way to the Eastern Conference finals. In only 19 postseason games, Cammalleri finished as the NHL's top goal scorer, registering 13 red-lighters — three of which were game-winners — for the Habs on 60 shots.

After having a successful regular season, many wondered if the unproven Antti Niemi could lead the Blackhawks to the Promised Land. Niemi showed the entire hockey world what he can do when the pressure is on, posting a 16-6 record in 22 postseason starts to go along with a 2.63 GAA and a .910 save percentage.