(My Sportsbook) - The Vancouver Canucks will try to jump out to a two games to none lead in the Western Conference semifinals when they host the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at General Motors Place.

The Canucks earned a 5-3 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-seven set on Thursday. Following tonight's test, the series will shift to Chicago for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Thursday.

Sami Salo scored the game-winner with 73 seconds to play in the opener, helping Vancouver stave off a ferocious Blackhawks comeback in the third period.

The Canucks entered the third period with a 3-0 lead, but Chicago would score three unanswered goals and tie the score on Dave Bolland's tally with 5:29 left.

However, the Canucks were able to grab the lead with a late tally. A turnover in the Chicago end resulted in Vancouver skating the other way. From the left side, Mason Raymond faked a shot and slid it over to Steve Bernier, who let fly with a one-timer. Nikolai Khabibulin was able to make the save, but the rebound went right back to the slot and Salo was able to bury it.

The Blackhawks were able to pull Khabibulin for the extra attacker, but Ryan Johnson's empty-net goal sealed the win.

Ryan Kesler, Henrik Sedin and Pavol Demitra each had a goal for the third- seeded Canucks, while Roberto Luongo made 28 saves in the win.

Patrick Kane scored twice and Bolland also lit the lamp for the fourth-seeded Blackhawks. Khabibulin allowed four goals on 26 shots in the loss.

The Canucks were champions of the Northwest Division this season and made quick work of their opponents in the opening round, sweeping St. Louis in four games. It was the first sweep of a seven-game series in franchise history.

Chicago, meanwhile, made the playoffs for the first time since 2002, qualifying for the tournament as the West's fourth-seeded club. The Blackhawks downed Calgary in six games during the conference quarterfinals to pick up the club's first postseason series win since sweeping the Flames in the opening round of the 1996 playoffs.

The Canucks and Blackhawks met four times during the regular season and split the series with two wins apiece. However, Vancouver won the final two matchups and outscored the 'Hawks by an 11-3 margin in those contests.

The clubs have met just twice in the postseason and each team has won a round. They last met in 1995, when Chicago swept Vancouver in four games during the conference semifinals.

Neither the Blackhawks nor the Canucks have made it to the conference finals since the mid-1990s, but that will change for one club with the outcome of this series. Chicago made it to the West finals last in 1995, where it lost to Detroit in five games. The Canucks were last participants in the conference finals in 1994, when they made it to the franchise's second Stanley Cup Finals before falling in seven games to the New York Rangers.

Vancouver was 24-12-5 as the host during the regular season, while the Blackhawks posted a 22-15-4 mark as the road team.