DETROIT -- As the National Hockey League waits for the result of Friday night's Los Angeles Lakers-Denver Nuggets game before setting a start time for Game 2, criticism continues to pour in for a hurried start to this Stanley Cup final.

The Detroit Red Wings only closed out their Western Conference final against Chicago on Wednesday night. They're banged up, and none too pleased that the league has bowed to NBC's wishes and opted to open this series with back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday.

So, not only do the Red Wings get just two off days between series, they will be forced to play two games inside of 24 hours.

"It just seems to me," began Detroit coach Mike Babcock, "we have two of the greatest teams in the world, star power-wise. Now, I don't think we need 14 days off. But there is a reason the NFL, who in my opinion is the biggest promotional horse ... in sport, takes two weeks off before the Super Bowl. To hype it up."

NBC, which pays virtually nothing for the rights to NHL games, sharing only from whatever profits they may turn, wants the games on the weekend. That has become even more important this coming week, with Conan O'Brien set to make his debut Monday as host of The Tonight Show.

That show goes at 11:35 p.m., and the league does not want to face the possibility of a double- or triple-overtime game running into that time slot.

As for the start time for Game 2 still being listed as TBA, that is because the NHL wants a separation between their start time and Game 7 of the Lakers-Nuggets series, should that be necessary. The NHL will likely go at 8 p.m. ET if there is no NBA game, and 7 p.m. if there is.

That could mean Games 1 and 2 will start 23 hours apart. This, after all the down time the Red Wings had through the first three rounds.

"We had a ton of time," Babcock said. "I mean, I could have gone bear huntin' between every single series in between games."

While none of the Detroit players were complaining, management clearly isn't happy.

"We're not happy, I have to be honest," Detroit GM Ken Holland told ESPN.com. "We're disappointed that we haven't had an extra day's rest. It's a double-whammy, the quick turnaround and back-to-back games. We're disappointed because we think when you win a series in five games or less, that you have earned an opportunity to have a few more days of rest."