NHL Opening-Day Schedule 2015: TV Coverage, Live Stream and Predictions

And so it begins again.

It seems like it was just yesterday the Chicago Blackhawks were skating around United Center with the Stanley Cup in June after beating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.

The offseason is short in the NHL. The Blackhawks and Lightning finished their season June 15, and NHL teams were back in training camp in the early part of September.

Now the 2015-16 season begins anew.

There will be a surge of adrenaline in the early part of the season. It's important to get off to good starts because most teams that are in playoff positions by Thanksgiving will likely remain in those spots by the end of the year. Not all of them will but most.

Teams are anxious to get out of the gate in impressive fashion, but at some point later this month or early in November, the grind will start. It's a matter of playing hard, executing the fundamentals, playing solid defense, getting good goaltending and taking advantage of scoring opportunities.

Does emotion play a role? Yes, but that factor tends to even out over the course of a season. It's talent, discipline and goaltending that will decide the 16 teams that make it into the playoffs next spring.

Game	Time (ET)	TV	Prediction
Montreal at Toronto	7 p.m.	TVAS, SN	Montreal 4, Toronto 2
N.Y. Rangers at Chicago	8 p.m.	NBCSN	N.Y. Rangers 3, Chicago 1
Vancouver at Calgary	10 p.m.	SN, TVAS2	Calgary 6, Vancouver 3
San Jose at Los Angeles	10:30 p.m.	NBCSN	Los Angeles 4, San Jose 2

All games can be streamed at NHL.com.

Raising the banner at United Center

The Blackhawks open the season Wednesday night in a nationally televised game at home against the New York Rangers.

Head coach Joel Quenneville's team will be celebrated by the throaty Chicago fans, and captain Jonathan Toews will try to focus his teammates after the team's third Stanley Cup banner in the last six seasons is raised to the rafters.

It may take a period or two to get the message, and by then the Rangers may have the jump on Chicago. New York got to the seventh game of the Eastern Conference Final before they were stopped by the Tampa Bay Lightning—or else they would have fought the Blackhawks for the Stanley Cup.

The Rangers would like to get back to the conference final again this year, and beating the Stanley Cup champions could help their confidence. Once again, head coach Alain Vigneault will depend on goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to shut down opponents, and he will also look to Rick Nash to provide offense.

Toews, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa are still in place for the Blackhawks, but salary-cap issues forced them to part company with Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp. The core is still strong for the Blackhawks, but it may take a while before the team hits its stride.

Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Groundhog Day in Toronto: Canadiens-Maple Leafs on Opening Night

If you think you have seen the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs open the NHL season before, that's because you have.

The Habs and the Maple Leafs will open the season at Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Wednesday night, making it the seventh straight year in which the two Original Six teams have met in a season opener.

The Canadiens should be similar to the team that won the Atlantic Division last year, as they have Carey Price in goal. The 28-year-old is coming off a remarkable season in which he won the Hart (MVP), Vezina (top goalie) and Jennings (fewest goals against) Trophies and the Ted Lindsay (most outstanding player) Award.

If Price can get just enough support from Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec and P.K. Subban, Montreal should remain one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. However, if injuries deplete their offense or if Price gets hurt (mon Dieu!), the Canadiens' position could be tenuous.

Little is expected from the Maple Leafs this year. Don't tell that to new head coach Mike Babcock, who left a comfortable perch in Detroit to take on the challenge of rebuilding the Leafs.  

Toronto traded the enigmatic Phil Kessel shortly after it hired Babcock, and that's a sure sign the team is building for the long run.

Babcock will push his team hard and make sure it is in good condition, but the talent level may not be good enough to get it into the playoffs.