The 2015 NHL playoffs are here at last.

Numerous sports fans across the world will make the argument that the NHL provides the best postseason of any sports league. Hip checks, diving saves, hard slap shots and Game 7s will all highlight this postseason.

But, before we get to the Stanley Cup Finals, we must first focus on the first round.

Wednesday night offers hockey fans with four must-watch games, and Latin Post runs down the list of the hottest NHL games to watch:

Ottawa Senators at Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens represent the last Canadian-based NHL team to win the Stanley Cup, having done so in 1993 with Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy. This Canadiens team finished the season as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, but this won't be an easy match-up. The Senators won the regular season series, three games to one.

P.K. Subban is one of the best body checkers in the game, and Max Pacioretty will be the Canadiens go to guy offensively. The winner of this series will face the winner of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings next round.

Game 1 begins at 7 p.m. EST on CBC, and will be played in Montreal.

Prediction: Canadiens win series, 4-3

New York Islanders at Washington Capitals

What a series this promises to be.

The Islanders are playing their final season on Long Island, where they won four memorable Stanley Cups. While this team doesn't exactly resemble those "Miracle Islanders" with Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy, they still finished with 101 points.

The Islanders and Capitals split the regular season series two games each. This is a huge series for Alexander Ovechkin, who has never made it to the third round of the playoffs. Ovechkin knows his legacy is on the line, and he will get compared to Sidney Crosby once again.

Game 1 begins at 7 p.m. EST on USA, and will be played in Washington, D.C.

Prediction: Islanders win series, 4-3

Chicago Blackhawks at Nashville Predators

The Blackhawks may be the No. 4 seed in the West, but you can never count them out. The Blackhawks have won two of the last five Stanley Cups, against the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins. Chicago won the regular season series, three games to one. The Predators missed the playoffs the last two seasons, but Filip Forsberg is looking to make a name for himself this postseason.

Game 1 begins at 8:30 p.m. EST on NBC, and will be played in Nashville, Tennessee.

Prediction: Blackhawks win series, 4-2

Calgary Flames at Vancouver Canucks

Again, we have two Canadian-based teams going at it. The Canucks finished the regular season with the No. 5 seed in the West thanks to Henrik and Daniel Sedin. These two teams split the regular season series two games each, but the Canucks will have home-ice advantage.

This is the Flames' first postseason appearance since the 2008-09 season, when they lost to the Blackhawks in the first round. The Canucks are looking to make it back to the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2011.

Game 1 begins at 10 p.m. EST on USA, and will be played in Vancouver.

Prediction: Canucks win series 4-2

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