Flyers winger Daniel Carcillo, a former Penguins prospect who seems to rack up more disciplinary measures than points, was suspended for Game 2 tonight for a hit to the head on forward Max Talbot on the final faceoff of a 4-1 loss in Game 1.

He had a hearing by phone after practice yesterday with the NHL, which also fined coach John Stevens $10,000. NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell noted in a league statement that general managers and coaches were notified Monday that "we would not tolerate attempts by clubs to 'send a message' late in a game when the outcome had been determined."

Carcillo, who did not receive a penalty, was emphatic he did not hit Talbot with his stick.

"I took a draw and won it back. He dropped to his knees," Carcillo said. "I didn't hit him with my stick at all. I know I hit him with my hand. My hand was over my stick. One of the video angles is not very flattering, but I know I didn't hit him with my stick."

Talbot, who was not hurt, didn't want to discuss it.

Just before the draw -- which came during a Penguins' five-on-three power play -- Carcillo, an unlikely faceoff man, said he was warned.

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

Carcillo, who led the league with 254 penalty minutes during the season, was acquired from Phoenix at trade deadline. While with the Coyotes, he was suspended for two games in October for throwing punches from the bench at Chicago's Ben Eager.

The Flyers might replace him with a seventh defenseman, rookie Luca Sbisa, or recall someone from their American Hockey League team.

The Flyers had just five defensemen at practice. Out were Kimmo Timonen, who absorbed a hit by Penguins winger Chris Kunitz early in the first period Wednesday but remained in the game, and Randy Jones, who had a family issue. Both are probable for tonight.

"I think he's going to be fine," Stevens said of Timonen. "We think he could have skated. ... It did seem to affect him a little bit, but I think after a day's rest and a day's treatment, he'll, hopefully, be fine."

Stevens moved Darroll Powe up from fourth-line center to third-line left winger with center Daniel Briere and Claude Giroux.

One of the topics of the Flyers' pre-practice meetings was faceoffs. They won just 36 percent of them in Game 1.

"They're good at faceoffs," said center Mike Richards, who won 4 of 14 draws (29 percent), mostly against the Penguins' Sidney Crosby, who won 12 of 16 (75 percent). Penguins center Jordan Staal won 11 of 14 (79 percent).

"They have a lot of good centermen, but we have to be better, too," Richards said. "It's a lot easier having the puck than chasing the puck."

Stevens disputed the official statistics column that declared the Penguins had just one giveaway, by defenseman Sergei Gonchar.

"Don't go by that sheet," said Stevens, whose staff compiles its own such stats. "No disrespect for stats guys. That's an arbitrary category."