Blackhawks vs. Lightning, Stanley Cup Final 2015: Time, TV schedule and live stream for Game 1

The final stage in the quest for the Stanley Cup will begin Wednesday when the puck drops in Tampa for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks. The stage is set for the start of what should be an exciting series in a matchup of two great offensive teams.

The Blackhawks and Lightning are similar in a lot of ways. Both are led offensively by high-scoring forwards. For Chicago, it’s Patrick Kane leading the way. He’s already racked up 20 points this postseason -- including 10 goals. He’s surrounded by a number of talented players with him, Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad forming a dynamic trio offensively.

Tampa Bay’s offense is no slouch, led by Tyler Johnson who’s scored 12 goals this postseason. Although Steven Stamkos struggled early in the playoffs, he played extremely well in the Eastern Conference Final. Stamkos scored four goals and tallied seven points in the seven-game series against New York. If he picks up where he left off in Game 1, it would be a big boost for the Lightning.

While the offenses will be the stars of the series, the team hoisting the Stanley Cup may come down to which goaltender is able to find success. Tampa Bay’s Ben Bishop and Chicago’s Corey Crawford have both had up-and-down postseasons. Bishop allowed five goals in three of Tampa Bay’s final five games against New York, but he pitched shutouts in the other two games, including the deciding Game 7. Crawford has also been up-and-down, including being benched during Chicago’s opening series. Crawford allowed at least two goals in every game during the Western Conference Final.

Winning Game 1 has been a good start for the last two Stanley Cup winners, including Chicago in 2012-13. NBC will handle television coverage for Game 1 with an online stream available from NBC Live Extra.