NHL playoffs schedule 2016: The race to the Stanley Cup begins with three Wednesday games

The 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs kick off on Wednesday night, April 13, with three games.

Two Eastern Conference matchups will get us started. The first, at 7 p.m. ET, will feature the Detroit Red Wings at the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1. Detroit is the third team in the Atlantic in the Eastern Conference, having clinched their playoff berth on the last weekend of the regular season. Tampa Bay clinched about a week earlier, but they're one of the most injury-plagued teams in the tournament. Steven Stamkos and Anton Stralman are out, while Tyler Johnson and Victor Hedman are bruised and battered but will play early in the series.

The second Eastern Conference game is at 8 p.m. ET between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers in their Game 1. This promises to be an exciting series, as the Penguins are one of the hottest teams in the league and the Rangers have stockpiled for years to make a run at the Stanley Cup.

The final game of the evening comes down to two Western Conference and Central Division rivals. The Chicago Blackhawks visit the St. Louis Blues in Game 1 at 9:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The last time these two met in the playoffs in 2014, it was one of the most physical and intense bouts in recent memory. Expect more of the same.