DETROIT -- Somehow, Carolina forward Bates Battaglia will fall asleep Tuesday afternoon.

	Battaglia

He'll stuff his face at the pregame meal, head back to his hotel, flip on the television and zonk out. Despite the nerves, the anxiety and the emotions that surround Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals, he'll sleep for about three hours.

The routine is the same one he had back in October. And there's no room for change.

"Not now," he said. "I did this for 82 regular-season games and however many playoff games we've had, so I'm not going to do anything differently. This is what works. As for falling asleep -- it hasn't been a problem yet so I don't think it will be a problem now."

The theme of normalcy, of routine, was a common one in both locker rooms following Tuesday's morning skate. In Detroit's dressing room, superstars Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Dominik Hasek, Chris Chelios, etc., were typically nowhere to be found. Instead, rookie Boyd Devereaux and a handful of the Black Aces (essentially Detroit's practice squad) fielded questions about pregame jitters and nerves.

The Hurricanes, on the other hand, talked about approaching this like any other game. They talked, just like they did on Monday, about executing their system and playing with poise.

"I know it's not exciting, but those are the keys," defenseman Aaron Ward said. "If we try to do anything different, there are going to be problems."

	“	If we try to do anything different, there are going to be problems.”
		— Carolina defenseman Aaron Ward on his team's approach to Game 1 of the Cup finals vs. other games

For Devereaux, the biggest adjustment he's had to make entering the Stanley Cup finals is actually calling his family and friends from nearby Seaforth, Ontario, to offer them tickets to the game. Seems the same folks that hounded him for tickets during the regular season and playoffs are too scared to call for the Stanley Cup.

"Yeah, I have to call people and invite them," Devereaux said. "It's a great call to make. I'm like, 'So how would you like to came to the first game of the Stanley Cup?' You should hear their excitement. It's incredible."

Nobody is saying this is just another game. In fact, Carolina head coach Paul Maurice admitted that he expects his team to be a little nervous in the early going. The Hurricanes must also deal with a seven-day layoff.

"A week off is probably not what you'd like, but fortunately, it's given us a chance to heal all our bumps and bruises," Maurice said.

The Red Wings, on the other hand, are coming off an emotional, draining series against arch-rival Colorado, which just ended on Friday. They could be primed for a letdown.

"I think with the veteran guys we have, that won't be a problem," Devereaux said. "They won't let that happen."

Both teams understand the importance of getting off to a quick start. For Carolina, an early goal would not only boost their confidence, but silence the Detroit crowd. For the Red Wings, a quick score would take loads of pressure off them and begin to put it on the Hurricanes.

Both teams are 9-1 in the 2002 playoffs when scoring first.

"I guess that says it all," Carolina goalie Arturs Irbe said.

Wayne Drehs is a staff writer at ESPN.com.