NHL Playoff Schedule 2015: Game Time, TV Info and Preview for Wednesday

One game separates the 2015 NHL playoffs from the conference finals, and the implications of it on the Stanley Cup are not small in nature.

After the Tampa Bay Lightning finally got it together and ousted the Montreal Canadiens in six games, Steven Stamkos and Co. are now awaiting their opponent for the Eastern Conference Final. But while that matchup looked like it could have been decided nearly a week ago, one team has fought from the brink of elimination to secure one final Game 7 opportunity on home ice.

Let's go ahead and take a look at the schedule for Wednesday and the rest of the conference semifinals before breaking down the big game.

Wednesday, May 13 Schedule

Time (ET)	Game: Matchup	TV	Series
7:30 p.m.	Game 7: Washington Capitals at New York Rangers	NBCSN	Tied 3-3

Live Stream

NBC Sports Live Extra

Game 7 Preview

Washington Capitals at New York Rangers

Rob Carr/Getty Images

So, it all comes down to this.

The New York Rangers' incredible quest to win the Presidents' Trophy, the Washington Capitals' revitalized season under a new head coach—it all comes down to Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

Of course, arriving at this point after six hard-fought games was no simple task, with enough drama to produce an entire novel. All six of the games have been decided by a single goal, and the Rangers had to fight back from a 3-1 disadvantage, but that hardly does this heart-stopping series justice.

However, justice will come Wednesday evening in the Big Apple, one way or another.

Chris Kreider has been crucial in the Rangers' comeback from the brink of elimination, as the left winger scored three goals in the two must-win games. His lone goal late in Game 5 helped save the season, while two tallies in Game 6 set the tone.

New York's much-needed offensive resurgence came about after accumulating just two goals through nine periods in the middle of the series. Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby's .944 save percentage in the series has played a big part in that, but Game 6 offers reason for concern.

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Holtby only saved 24 of 28 shots in Game 6, with his save percentage dipping below 90 percent in a game for the first time since the opening round against the New York Islanders. He wasn't at his usual best, but his teammates were quick to bail him out heading into Game 7.

“He’s been our rock all year," Capitals center Jay Beagle told Alex Prewitt of the Washington Post. "It’s just a matter of making sure we’re clearing bodies and making it as easy as we can on him, so he can continue to make unbelievable saves, and also keep us in games when we need him to, and also win us games.”

Holtby won't only have an increasingly confident bunch of Rangers forwards in front of him Wednesday night, but he'll also have history against him. As ESPN's John Buccigross noted, New York has quite an impressive home record in Game 7s:

There are a whole lot of people near the nation's capital waiting to see that streak end, and their fearless leader hasn't backed down. 

In the wake of Game 6 defeat, Capitals star captain Alex Ovechkin went as far as to guarantee his team would take Game 7 in Madison Square Garden, and he didn't back down on the comments when asked to clarify them Tuesday, per Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun.

However, recent history may suggest that will be an uphill climb for Washington, per the NHL Network's Mike Kelly:

When it comes down to it, nothing that has happened in past Game 7s matters. And just as well, nothing that has happened in the series to this point matters, as long as the teams have learned from their mistakes.

All that really matters at this point is Game 7.