ESPN 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs Blog

Posted by Scott Burnside

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh forward Maxime Talbot seemed nonplussed that Philadelphia forward Daniel Carcillo was being hauled up on the proverbial carpet for a last-second stick incident against him in Game 1.

Carcillo was scheduled to have a conference call with NHL discipline czar Colin Campbell Thursday afternoon and a suspension is likely.

[Editor's update: Carcillo was suspended for one game and coach John Stevens was fined $10,000 later on Thursday for the incident.]

"I have no thought about it," Talbot offered. "Whatever they decide to do."

The incident was shrouded in mystery given that it happened in the waning seconds of Wednesday's 4-1 Pittsburgh victory. No penalty was assessed and no one among the media covering the series seemed to have seen the incident as it unfolded. Talbot provided few details.

Was it a butt end?

"Might have been," he said.

Carcillo denied he butt ended Talbot.

"I didn't hit him with my stick at all," Carcillo said. "I know I hit him with my hand, but my hand was over my stick. I know I didn't hit him with the stick. One of the video angles, it's not very flattering, but I know my hand was over my stick.

"From one angle, it looks bad, but all the other five angles, it looks like I punched him. We'll see what happens."

The NHL's penalty-minute leader during the regular season said one of the referees warned him not to act up when he got on the ice for the final faceoff of the game.

"The ref came up to me and said not to do anything, so it'd be pretty dumb for me to go out there and butt end somebody in the back of the head, which I didn't do," Carcillo said. "I knew the refs were looking. I just clipped him and he went down."

Despite the Carcillo incident and some bad blood that marked the end of Wednesday's game, Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren said he doesn't think there will be more of the same Friday.

"It's an important playoff series and obviously the next game becomes very important to us now, so I don't expect any carry-over," Holmgren said. "We have a good rivalry with Pittsburgh."

Too much Richards?
There is already much discussion about whether Philadelphia captain Mike Richards is being worn down after logging as much ice time as he did during the regular season.

Richards was fifth in average ice time per game and is a key member of the Flyers' penalty-killing unit, meaning the minutes he logs are hard minutes. Philadelphia coach John Stevens acknowledged he might have done Richards a disservice in Game 1 by using him as much as he did on the penalty kill. Richards played 23:17, the most of any forward on either team.

"Maybe I relied on him a little too much," Stevens said.

Jones leaves to be with family
The Flyers were without defenseman Randy Jones at practice today. The native of Quispamsis, New Brunswick, lost his grandmother and he returned home to be with family. He was expected to be back in Pittsburgh for Game 2 on Friday evening. Kimmo Timonen, bothered by a charley horse after an early hit in Game 1 from Chris Kunitz, did not skate, but will play Friday night.

Staal's two-way play
Stevens praised the work of Pittsburgh center Jordan Staal, who has evolved into a top two-way player. Staal picked up an assist on the game-winning goal Wednesday night and now has points in seven straight games.

Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma said when he first met Staal as a 17-year-old preparing for his first NHL season, he didn't think Staal knew just how big and strong he was. When Staal controls the puck in the offensive zone corners or along the boards, Bylsma said he's as good at it as anyone in the league.

"It's obviously something that I'm still learning," Staal said. "Down in the corners and stuff like that, sometimes I don't realize maybe how much time I have or how I can use my body to my advantage. As of late, it's really been obviously something that I've been focusing on and it's really working."

Scoring in first matters
The Flyers have led after the first period just four times in their last 26 games. Stevens said some of that can be chalked up to first-period penalties, the kind that sunk the Flyers in Game 1.

"It's hard to explain," Simon Gagne said. "I think we're ready when the puck drops."