Stanley Cup Final 2015: TV Schedule, Live Stream for Blackhawks vs. Lightning

The Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning have each had a couple of days to catch their breath after winning their respective conference titles, and now it's on to the Stanley Cup Final.  

The Blackhawks are gunning for their third Stanley Cup in the past six years, while the Lightning will try to take home their second championship in the team's history.

The Blackhawks have a slew of experienced superstars in Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Marian Hossa who know how to rise to the occasion. The Lightning have home-ice advantage and their own crew of talented and fast players who are capable of lighting up the scoreboard.

The series gets underway Wednesday night at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, and here's the game-by-schedule for the Stanley Cup Final. If the series goes seven games, the Stanley Cup will be handed out June 17 in Tampa.

Game	Matchup	Date	Time (ET)	TV
1	Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning	June 3	8 p.m.	NBC, CBC, TVA Sports
2	Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning	June 6	7:15 p.m.	NBC, CBC, TVA Sports
3	Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks	June 8	8 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
4	Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks	June 10	8 p.m.	NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
5	Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning (if necessary)	June 13	8 p.m.	NBC, CBC, TVA Sports
6	Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks (if necessary)	June 15	8 p.m.	NBC, CBC, TVA Sports
7	Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning (if necessary)	June 17	8 p.m.	NBC, CBC, TVA Sports

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra 

What to watch for: Chicago Blackhawks

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

The Blackhawks were rather inconsistent in their first-round series against the Nashville Predators, and they were pushed to the limit by the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference Final.

However, the Blackhawks have done nothing to dispel the notion that they are the most talented team in the league and will find a way to complete the job at the most important time of the year.

They are led by their stars, and it's hard to find a more complete player in the postseason than Toews (nine goals, nine assists). He scored the first two goals in Chicago's Game 7 victory at Anaheim, and he also plays hard-nosed defense whenever Joel Quenneville taps him on the shoulder.

Kane (10 goals, 10 assists) is a gifted playmaker with a knack for scoring huge goals. He can stickhandle in a phone booth, and he is adept at making the most skilled defensemen look foolish with his dekes and feints.

Keith (two goals, 16 assists) is a two-time Norris Trophy winner who may have the inside track on the Conn Smythe Trophy if the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup. In addition to his puck-carrying skills and playmaking talent, he never seems to get fatigued no matter how much he is asked to play. Keith is averaging 31:35 of ice time during the postseason.

Goalie Corey Crawford (2.56 goals-against average, .919 save percentage, one shutout) struggled badly early in the Nashville series, but he has demonstrated his true colors the rest of the way in the postseason. Crawford is a smart, well-positioned goalie who has shown he can make the spectacular save when his team needs him. He is also adept at shaking off a bad game or a poor goal without letting it impact his overall play.

What to watch for: Tampa Bay Lightning

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

The Lightning have been road warriors in the playoffs, having won seven of their first nine road postseason games this year.

Most impressive were the shutouts Ben Bishop recorded in Games 5 and 7 of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. He also blanked the Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 of the opening round.

Despite those performances, Bishop (2.15 GAA, .920 save percentage, three shutouts) was somewhat shaky in the Eastern Conference Final. He was knocked out of Game 6 at home, and he gave up 15 goals in the three games at Amalie Arena.

Meanwhile, Steven Stamkos may not have a championships on his resume yet, but he is an excellent leader who will do anything to help his team win. He has seven goals and 10 assists thus far in the playoffs, but his ability to get physical in the Eastern Conference Final helped give his team a lift when it needed it most.

Tyler Johnson may be the fastest player on either team, and that's quite an accomplishment considering all the speed on both teams. Johnson carried the Lightning in the early phases of the playoffs and is the league's leading scorer going into the final round with 12 goals and nine assists.

If the Lightning are going to win this series and hoist the Stanley Cup, big and swift-skating defenseman Victor Hedman needs to play his best hockey. He can carry the puck and set up his teammates (one goal and nine assists), and his play in the defensive zone is also strong. Hedman breaks up passes, blocks shots and will get physical with the opposition.

He can't afford to have any lapses because the Blackhawks are too skilled, experienced and hungry.