At first, I thought it was pregame jitters for Crosby and Malkin during their first Stanley Cup Finals, but then I realized that the NHL had not changed much since the lockout. The Red Wings level of play reminded me of old school "trapping" with a tight defensive end. Somehow in my mind the Red Wings looked like their old Stanley Cup self of ages ago. It made me wonder why it was still all the same.

Many fans believe that the reason that the Penguins are losing can be explained by the Penguins not having enough hatred against the Red Wings. The Penguins really don't hate the Red Wings. They certainly hate the Flyers with their board slamming orange and black suits and can't stand the Rangers with their instigating antics. Never mind Sean Avery since Jagr is the player who they really hate after leaving the Pens for the big contract with the Caps and then with the New York Rangers.  But, do the Penguins really hate the Red Wings. Is there enough rivalry to fuel this series to success?

Maxime Talbot thinks differently: "Yeah, I do (hate them)" he said after practice in Pittsburgh. "Because they're in the way of what we want and I have to hate them for that. I'm telling you, last game was chippy and dirty and hopefully the next game is going to be too...They're in the way of the prize we want. We have to hate them for that. They're easy to hate."

And then there is the question of enjoying the game. How many times have we heard it even from the Pee Wee coach who tells kids that they should enjoy themselves? The Penguins enjoyed beating the Senators, the Rangers and Flyers, but not the Red Wings. "It's not a lot of fun," forward Gary Roberts said. "You feel like you're chasing the puck all game. You use up so much energy trying to find the puck, and, by the time you get it, you're exhausted." Maybe too exhausted to get the first goal of the Stanley Cup Final series for the Penguins.