WATCH Stanley Cup Playoffs LIVE STREAM Online, Wild vs. Blackhawks: Championship 2015 Highlights & Preview

It's finally that time of year - the Stanley Cup playoffs are here!

The Minnesota Wild battle it out on the ice against the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the 2015 Stanley Cup playoff series on Friday, May 1 at 9:30 p.m. EST at the United Center in Illinois. Read on to see where fans can watch and listen to a live stream of the Friday evening hockey game online and catch up-to-date feeds and coverage on highlight plays and scores.

The Blackhawks defeated the Nashville Predators in the first bout of playoff games, and will now fight for victory against Minnesota (after the Wild beat-out the St. Louis Blues).

Check out an official game preview at CBS Local.

A total of eight teams remain in the playoffs. According to SportingNews.com reporter Sean Gentille:

Wild (7): We might've underestimated the Wild, though they benefited big-time from Blues goalie Jake Allen's struggles. On the other side, Devan Dubnyk (.913 save percentage) either started coming back to earth after an insane run to end the season, or had a few mediocre games. He's going to have to be better against the Blackhawks... Say what you want about Darling and Crawford, but combining for a .904 save percentage isn't likely, nor is Chicago getting as snake-bitten as St. Louis. Average goaltending and poor 5-on-5 puck-possession stats aren't a good combination, and the Wild overcame both against the Blues. They were much better in both realms to close the season, and they'll need to return to form. If so, no big deal.

Blackhawks (4): We said it at the start of the playoffs; it's impossible to ultimately pick against against a really good team with Cup bona fides and Patrick Kane back in the lineup. Chicago's road got a little easier when the Wild eliminated St. Louis, too; good as Minnesota is, the Blues felt like a worse matchup... Chicago's stars are producing, including Kane, who had seven points in his first six games back in the lineup. They possessed the puck at 5-on-5 better than any remaining team, controlling 53.3 percent of even-strength shot attempts against Nashville. And they've won two Cups already. It's tough to pick against that... That's not to say there aren't problems; the Scott Darling/Corey Crawford shuffle could get old, and a penalty kill that allowed six goals to the Predators on 22 chances won't be good enough. This is going to feel like the Blackhawks' year until they're eliminated. 

The game will be broadcasted live on local channels NBCS, RSN, SPSO and TVA, but fans can also listen in on the radio at KWSN, 740 The Fan, WGN, and WBUZ.

For fans who want to try out a free live stream (which may mean downloading a torrent), click here. Also try this or another option.

For a one-time fee, fans can access a NHL Gamecenter Live pass.

Get more info on the Stanley Cup playoffs.

ESPN, ESPN Scoreboard, and NHL.com  are both good sources for up-to-date game coverage and feeds.

The full 2014-2015 regular NHL schedule is posted online here so are up-to-date division rankings.

More radio listening options for Wild and Blackhawks.

Official NHL team websites: Wild and Blackhawks.

Enjoy the playoff hockey game!