Stanley Cup Final 2015: Blackhawks vs. Lightning TV Schedule, Game 1 Live Stream

After scintillating Game 7 victories in both conference finals, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Tampa Bay Lightning each had a few days off to collect themselves and refocus.

It starts anew Wednesday night at the Amalie Arena as the two teams square off for the Stanley Cup championship.

This is familiar ground to the Blackhawks, as they have won two of the last five NHL championships, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 and the Boston Bruins in 2013.

The Lightning won the Stanley Cup in their only previous trip to the Final in 2004, when they defeated the Calgary Flames.

The Blackhawks have recent success, superstar talent in Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Marian Hossa, and solid goaltending in Corey Crawford.

The Lightning are loaded with speed and offensive skills, have two dynamic players in Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson, and an outstanding supporting cast. Goalie Ben Bishop has had some dramatic ups and downs in the playoffs to this point, and he will have to be more consistent if the Lightning are going to earn the Stanley Cup.

NBC will televise Games 1 and 2, and the "peacock network" will also broadcast Games 5, 6 and 7 if they are necessary. NBCSN will televise Games 3 and 4.

Game	Date	Matchup	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 

Game 1 Storyline

The Blackhawks dropped Game 1 in their opening-round series against Nashville and in the Western Conference Final against the Anaheim Ducks. Both of those games were on the road. They won Game 1 at home against Minnesota in the conference semifinal.  

The Lightning have struggled at home in the playoffs. They dropped two of their three home games to the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final, and they gave up at least five goals in each of those games. On the other hand, the Lightning have been superb on the road, compiling a 7-2 record in the postseason.

It's probably more important for the Lightning to get off to a good start and win at home than it is for the Blackhawks to win on the road. Chicago trailed 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 in the series against the Ducks before coming back and winning Games 6 and 7 in impressive fashion.

The Blackhawks also trailed the Bruins 2-1 after three games of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final before coming back to win the last three games in that series. They have clearly demonstrated that they can come back from series deficits and claim victory.

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Joel Quenneville knows that Toews is an excellent leader who can play his best game and rally his team when it needs an extra surge. Quenneville told the press on Tuesday:

"

Focus and preparation is as good as I’ve seen in any player. The more important the stage, the more important the situation, he wants to be out there, he wants to be successful. He’ll find a way to make it successful. It’s an uncanny ability he has that you don’t see in too many players.

"

Stamkos may be the same kind of player as Toews. Always an explosive goal scorer, Stamkos did not hesitate to play a physical game against the Rangers, and a couple of his big open-ice hits inspired his team. Stamkos showed what kind of competitor he was in the 2011 Eastern Conference Final when he took a Johnny Boychuk slap shot to the face that turned him into a bloody mess. After going into the locker room for repairs, Stamkos was back on the ice after missing one—ONE!—shift.

He has only gotten better and more competitive since then. Johnson may be the fastest player on either team, and he is the leading playoff scorer with 21 points. It may be very difficult for the Blackhawks to contain Stamkos and Johnson.

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

One of the keys in Game 1 is Bishop's goaltending. His performance at home in the Eastern Conference Final was poor, and he was knocked out of Game 6 after the Rangers exposed him in the third period.

However, Bishop is nothing if not resilient, and he has the talent and the mental capabilities to bounce back. He has a chance to win the Stanley Cup in his first attempt at competing in playoff hockey.

CBS analyst Darren Pang told the Tampa Bay Times that such an achievement would "create a legacy" for Bishop, and it would also allow him to join Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy. Both of those legendary goalies won the Stanley Cup in their first playoff go-rounds.

Winning in Game 1 would make that task a lot simpler for Bishop.