RALEIGH, N.C. -- It isn't like Jeff O'Neill doesn't know the rules. Or wasn't told -- like the rest of his Carolina Hurricanes teammates -- that the 2002 Stanley Cup finals were going to be called especially close.

It's just that when he grew up and watched the Stanley Cup finals on television, it took somebody getting carted off in an ambulance to get a penalty called. So now that he's playing in the finals and just about every slash, check, poke, trip or high stick is being tagged, O'Neill is as confused as anyone.

"I don't know," O'Neill said. "I guess I have kinda old-school views on that. I think the guys should settle the game. I can remember when I was a child where it had to be almost an ambulance-type situation for there to be a penalty called."

Not anymore.

In the first two games of this series, the four finals referees have issued 29 power plays. In seven Stanley Cup finals games last year, 63 power plays were assessed.

"Yeah, we're working on it," Carolina coach Paul Maurice said. "That's a great line from the movie Slap Shot, we're working on it. It's been a little different."

It isn't a total surprise, though, as league officials warned both teams before the series that the games were going to be called tightly. Andy VanHellemond, the NHL's director of officiating, instructed referees prior to the finals to not let any infractions go.

But the timing of some of the calls has been irritating. No call has been more curious than the third period slashing penalty Detroit defenseman Mathieu Dandenault drew on Martin Gelinas at the 14:00 mark of the third period in Game 2.

The penalty gave Detroit a crucial late-game power play, which they converted into a Nicklas Lidstrom game-winning slapshot. Replays showed that Gelina's slash likely wouldn't have hurt a pee-wee player, not to mention it happened in the neutral zone.

"When you see them call a marginal slashing in the natural zone, and you can just see the guy's head go back and embellish the call -- I don't think that's the way the finals should be called," O'Neill said.

In the first three rounds of the 2002 playoffs, there were an average of 8.33 power plays in games played by the Carolina Hurricanes. Detroit's games, on the other hand, averaged 8.72 power plays per game.

But in the first two games of the Stanley Cup finals, there have been an average of 14.5 power plays per game, almost double the previous rounds.

The total power play time of 42:27 has accounted for 35 percent of the playing time.

"There's more focus now. Everybody is watching," Detroit coach Scotty Bowman said. "You know, I mean like the whole world is watching, especially the hockey world. So there's less of a chance to get away with anything now."

Though the penalties have troubled the flow of the game, they haven't had an overwhelming effect on the final score, as both teams have struggled on the power play. Thus far, Carolina is 1-for-14, their only goal coming on a 5-on-3 advantage. Detroit, meanwhile, is 2-for-15. Both teams have scored a shorthanded goal.

Even so, both teams would prefer to play 5-on-5.

"I think we would all prefer when a power play came up, have it be really significant because it was only going to maybe one in that period that you were going to get," Maurice said. "There has to be a line drawn somewhere. I am just not sure where it should be. I think that they have been consistent in what they have called. They have just called a lot and made it more difficult."

Part of the reason for the increase in penalties is that the crews calling the Stanley Cup finals are among the league's best. In addition, each game is critically reviewed on film and the referees are made accountable for each of their calls.

No changes are expected for tonight's Game 3, meaning it will be the players, not the referees, who have to adjust.

"If you haven't learned by now that they are basically calling every infraction out there, interference, little slashes, all you have to do is embellish it a little bit," O'Neill said. "It's going to be called. So you just can't do it."

Wayne Drehs is a staff writer at ESPN.com.