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

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

The Tampa Bay Lightning battle it out on the ice against the Montreal Canadiens as part of the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. EST at the Bell Centre in Quebec. 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.

The Lightning defeated the Detroit Red Wings in the first bout of playoff games, and will now fight for victory against Montreal (after the Canadiens beat-out the Ottawa Senators).

Check out an official game preview at Yahoo Sports.

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

Lightning (3): It's impossible not to like the Lightning's forward depth, which should positively impact them against the Canadiens, particularly on the third line. It's also impossible not to think that Steven Stamkos, bad as he's been, is going to break out at some point. He's too good not to... The issue, though, is goaltender Ben Bishop. He was good in Game 7 against Detroit, save for a near disaster when he left the crease on a third-period breakaway attempt, but looked eminently shaky in Game 6. Maybe the Canadiens generate enough shots to beat him and maybe they don't, but it's tough to pick him to take Tampa much farther than that.

Canadiens (2): The Lightning aren't a good draw for the Habs, who managed to make a series against the Senators with Carey Price at his best much closer than it needed to be. Tampa suppresses shots as is; when you factor in a potential Stamkos breakout, you should bank on them beating Price, tough enough as it is, to get past Montreal.  

The game will be broadcasted live on local channels CBC, NBCS, and TVA, but fans can also listen in on the radio at 97.1 The Ticket, CJBK, 98,5 FM, and TSN 690.

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 Lightning and Canadiens.

Official NHL team websites: Lightning and Canadiens.

Enjoy the playoff hockey game!