Four you can't ignore. (Insider: NHL).

Good goaltending and effective special teams are more important than ever in the post-season--that's no secret. But playoff teams also need more from their players to succeed when each game matters, something that can't necessarily be defined by numbers.

"You need a lot of guys who are willing to put forth the effort and lay everything on the line, whether it's to block a shot with your face or whether it's to go down and dive for a loose puck and battle in the offensive end," says Islanders winger Mark Parrish. "You need your skilled guys to work just as hard as your grinders work."

With this in mind, I decided on four players--the number of rounds a team must win to have its name engraved on Lord Stanley's prized donation--I'd want on a team heading into the playoffs this season. In the name of balance, I also came up with four players I wouldn't want.

Haves

Patrick Roy. "He's the guy if you're going into the seventh game," says Hockey Night in Canada commentator Don Cherry. The winningest goaltender in history and winner of three Conn Smythes is having a better season than he did last year when he led the Avalanche to its second Cup. He's healthy, focused, driven and relatively rested after sitting out the Olympics. No one wants to win more than Roy. His goals-against average has dropped every year for the last six seasons, even as he gets older.

Michael Peca. Even though the Islanders haven't been consistent down the stretch, I still would want Peca on the ice when the game is on the line. His defensive play was underrated for Team Canada at the Olympics but will be better appreciated when the playoffs roll around. And don't forget that he sat out an entire season and has less wear and tear, relatively speaking, on his frame.

Adam Foote or Rob Blake. Foote was Team Canada's best defenseman and has bounced back from nagging injuries. On some nights, he has been the Avs' steadiest defenseman, a necessity during the playoffs. With Darius Kasparaitis on board, the pressure will be off Foote and Blake, another of Cherry's picks.