Winter Classic 2015: Schedule, TV Info and Preview for Blackhawks vs. Capitals

On New Year's Day 2015, the Chicago Blackhawks will take on the Washington Capitals in this season's edition of the Winter Classic, a regular-season hockey match unremarkable in every way except for the fact that it reconnects the glorious winter sport to the great outdoors, conjuring up images of young skaters on frozen ponds, braving arctic conditions in the pursuit of sporting pleasure.

Sure, this edition of the Winter Classic will take place in the cavernous Nationals Park in Washington D.C.—so no, not nearly as modest as a frozen pond—but that shouldn't take away from the charm of the event.

Bringing hockey back to the great outdoors is an annual event that puts the sport on a national stage in the midst of the NFL playoff push and the college football bowl mania.

Here is a look at the schedule and television information for the contest.

Winter Classic 2015 Schedule, TV Info

Date: Thursday, Jan. 1

Time (ET): 1 p.m.

Matchup: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Washington Nationals

Location: Nationals Park, Washington D.C.

TV: NBC

Preview

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

The weather is crucial to the Winter Classic, as unfavorable conditions could affect the quality of play out on the ice. According to the Washington Post's Jason Samenow, the weather should be cold and dry on Thursday, a forecast he considers ideal for hockey.

The biggest draw to the Winter Classic is—as previously mentioned—the nostalgia factor, and a touch of snow might draw more eyeballs to the game, but the forecast should at least allow the Blackhawks and Capitals to provide competition worthy of all the pre-game hype. 

Chicago is first in the Central Division with 48 points and second overall in the Western Conference, while the Capitals are fourth in the Metropolitan but have won seven of their last 10 games.

Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

The Blackhawks are immensely strong at both ends of the ice. The team ranks first in the league in shots per game (35.2) and fifth in goals (2.94), while allowing just 2.03 goals against, the stingiest rate in the NHL.

Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford has been sensational this season, posting a 2.00 goals-against average (fourth in the league) and a .923 save percentage in 20 appearances. His ostensible backups, Antti Raanta and Scott Darling have acquitted themselves well while filling in for Crawford.

Goalie	GP	GS	GAA	SO	SA	GA	SV %
Raanta	9	8	1.73	2	268	15	.944
Darling	7	7	1.97	0	222	14	.937

No matter who is in the net at Nationals Park on Thursday, the Capitals could have a tough time scoring. Indeed, the Blackhawks' playoff prospects are very bright considering the franchise's recent overall success, including the 2013 Stanley Cup, and the stellar play of their netminder corps.

Alex Trautwig/Getty Images

Washington would be wise to get a boost from the home crowd and be aggressive early on. They have the fourth-best winning percentage in the league when scoring first.

Fluid forwards Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin lead the team in points with 36 and 28, respectively. The shrewd lefty-righty combo will be key to the Caps' chances in this one. Crawford, for all his brilliance, has but one shutout on the season.

Of course, if Washington scores first, that will be all it can do to stop the onslaught of the Blackhawks attackers. Right wing Patrick Kane is enjoying yet another fine season, with 16 goals and 20 assists to his credit. Four more Blackhawks have at least 20 points on the season, including slick-passing defenseman Brent Seabrook.

The Capitals may have the home advantage, but it will be tough to make it hold up in this one.

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

The Winter Classic is often quite the ratings draw for the NHL, which has prompted the expansion of outdoor games in the NHL regular-season schedule. The Chicago Tribune's Ed Sherman noted the increase in open-air contests since the Winter Classic debuted in 2008:

"

With the Winter Classic generating the NHL's highest regular-season TV ratings of the year, the league decided to expand the concept. Last year, there were six outdoor games, sparking complaints that some of the novelty was being lost with too much of a good thing. This year, the NHL decided to cut back with only two outdoor games: The Sharks will host the Kings on Feb. 21 at Levi's Stadium, new home of the 49ers.

"

The NHL is a business, and it's tough to ignore the lucrative opportunities this type of game provides, but the over-saturation argument is a legitimate concern. It could turn away the casual fans who tune in solely for the novel experience.

At the same time, learning there is only one or two of these outdoor games on the schedule could leave some viewers feeling cold, especially if they greatly enjoy the event. 

NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood believes more games could draw more people to the sport.

"Initially, I was very vocal in saying I thought the league was being too aggressive (by expanding the outdoor games)," Flood said, via Sherman. "Now I hope there's more. It's a way to bring in new fans."

It's an interesting conversation, and it could be quite some time before the league strikes a perfect balance. The visual aspects and quality of the competition must remain quite high in these games if they are to justify more of them, as outdoor games with bad conditions or weather that is too warm could make the whole idea seem ill-conceived or poorly executed.

If the games are crisp and exciting and kept in ideal locales, more than one or two games might not be such a bad idea for the NHL if the league wants to raise it's profile in the crowded United States sports market.

Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of NHL.com.

Winter Classic 2015: Schedule, TV Info and Preview for Blackhawks vs. Capitals