WATCH Islanders vs. Capitals Stanley Cup Playoffs Live Stream Online, NHL 2015 New York Leads Game 2: Listen To Free Hockey Coverage, Power Rankings

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

The New York Islanders battle it out on the ice against the Washington Capitals to kick-off the NHL playoff season on Friday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m. EST at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. Read on to see where fans can watch and listen to a live stream of the Friday night hockey game online and catch up-to-date feeds and coverage on highlight plays and scores.

Heading into Game 2 of the playoff series, ESPN.com reporter Scott Burnside offers an official, updated breakdown of all 30 NHL teams (power rankings):

Islanders (1-0): "The Islanders gave away home-ice advantage in the waning seconds of Game 82 against Columbus, and now we'll see if that hurts them against the big, talented Capitals. Jaroslav Halak has to be better or this will be over in a hurry."

Capitals (0-1): "The Capitals earned home-ice advantage in the first round thanks to a flub by the Islanders, but this does appear to be a different team than previous playoff incarnations. Is there a danger of fatigue being an issue for goalie Braden Holtby? The Caps would love to play long enough to find out."

The game will be broadcasted live on local channels NBCS, RSN, CSMA, TVA, and MSG+, but fans can also listen in on the radio at WTOP, WFED, 99.9 The Fan, and WRHU.

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.

More radio listening options for Capitals and Islanders.

Official NHL team websites: Capitals and Islanders.

Enjoy the playoff game!