The unofficial conclusion of the 2014-15 season took place in Las Vegas last night with the annual NHL Awards. The off-season is now upon us, and today the league announced their schedule for the 2015-16 season.

Two of the Bruins’ 82-game slate were announced prior to the official schedule release — the home opener vs. the Winnipeg Jets and the Winter Classic matchup with the hated Montreal Canadiens. The other 80 games provide some entertaining matchups to round out the Bruins’ regular season calendar.

That said, here are five Bruins games to watch in 2015-16.

The upstart Winnipeg Jets come to Boston for the Bruins’ home opener on October 8th (Photo credit: Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily)

5. The home opener

Regardless of how the Bruins’ roster shapes up, the opening night matchup against the upstart Jets should be fun to watch. Former Bruins Mark Stuart and Blake Wheeler make another trip to their old home on Causeway Street along with notable players like Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and Michael Frolik. In the tough Western Conference, Winnipeg will have its hands full to make a return trip to the postseason. Nonetheless, this opening night matchup should be entertaining.

The Bruins hope to finally get one past Braden Holtby in their first meeting with the Caps on November 4th in the nations capital (photo credit: Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily)

4. November 4 at Washington

The last time the Bruins scored on Braden Holtby, Calder Trophy runner-up Johnny Guadreau was leading Boston College to another Frozen Four appearance and the B’s were on their way to the best record in the league. In three games last year, the Caps netminder shut the door on the Black and Gold as he stopped all 88 shots he faced. Boston’s first chance to snap Holtby’s shutout streak of 186:43 will come in the second month of the season, and they might want to put an end to that streak sooner, rather than later.

The Bruins and Lightning will meet for the first time in 2015-16 during a Columbus Day matinee (photo credit: Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily)

3. October 12 vs. the Lightning

The Lightning are one of the most skilled teams in the league. From their young and promising forwards like Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov, to the rise of Viktor Hedman, to Ben Bishop between the pipes and superstar Steven Stamkos, GM Steve Yzerman has assembled a team that is taking the league by storm (no pun intended). The Bruins did earn a couple of victories against the defending Eastern Conference champions last season, but their roller coaster year ended with a shootout loss in Tampa. This will be a good early test for the Black and Gold in just the third game of the 2015-16 season.

The Bruins welcome the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks for the first meeting between the two teams on March 3rd (photo credit: Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily)

2. March 3 vs. the Blackhawks

Fresh off their third Stanley Cup victory in six years, the Blackhawks’ dynasty has taken center stage. The names are recognizable: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Marian Hossa, Brandon Saad, Brent Seabrook and head coach Joel Quennville. But once again, they’ll be faced with a tough off-season thanks to the little cap space that they have and they’ll likely part with some of their core players to get underneath the cap — perhaps Seabrook or Patrick Sharp. Still, the Hawks should be one of the favorites, again, to win the Cup, and they’ll make their third appearance at TD Garden since capturing their second Cup this decade in early March.

The Bruins and Canadiens will take their rivalry outdoors on New Years Day at the home of the four-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots (photo credit: Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily)

1. The 2016 Winter Classic

This one is self-explanatory. The greatest rivalry in hockey will be front and center in front of a national — and Canadian — audience on New Years Day at Gillette Stadium. The Bruins and Habs will have three meetings prior to the Winter Classic (October 10, November 7 and December 9), but this game will complete another chapter — in front of the largest outdoor hockey crowd in New England — of this historic matchup.