Alex Pietrangelo will have to explain himself to the NHL and the Department of Player Safety on Thursday. Following a slash to Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers in a physical Game 4 on Wednesday, a suspension feels likely as the Vegas Golden Knights defenseman lost his cool after being targeted all game long, then two-handed the Oilers’ forward with an ugly chop to the arms and chest, leading to a five-minute major and a game misconduct.
The play came in the third period with the game out of reach for Vegas. Minutes earlier, Evander Kane crosschecked Pietrangelo into the boards and the defenseman seemed to be nursing a wrist injury. He didn’t come out of the game, in fact, when he returned to the ice, he made a conscious effort to seek retribution and targeted Draisaitl. The play is being seen by many as uncharacteristic of the blueliner, but also nasty and delivered with an intent to injure.
Oilers’ head coach Jay Woodcroft told the media after the game on Wednesday night, “If you’re asking my opinion on that play, I would not define it as a hockey play and I’ll leave it at that. I’m sure people will take a look at it.” Connor McDavid was asked about the slash and said:
“You’d like to see it reviewed for sure. I would like to see [Pietrangelo] suspended. It’s as intent to injure as you can get. Time, score, clock all play a factor. He comes over his head and places it just kind of under Leon’s chin. You’d like to see something like that suspended, it’s not a hockey play. But, at the end of the day, it’s not in our hands.”
Meanwhile, the Oilers will be waiting for a decision on Darnell Nurse’s instigator penalty. He was engaged in a fight with Nic Hague and skated from his own blue line to join a scrum that led to the two men squaring off. All of this took place in the shift following the Pietrangelo slash, thus it seems fairly evident Nurse was looking for someone to answer for the infraction. Woodcroft noted that he saw the play as two mean bearhugging and that Hague dropped his gloves first and threw eight punches before Nurse engaged in the actual fight. The NHL has the right to overturn an automatic one-game suspension that comes with getting an instigator in the final five minutes of an NHL game.
Next: Oilers Tie Series w/ Golden Knights In Down and Dirty Game 4 Win
Pingback: Did Flyers Make a Mistake Hiring In-House for President and GM?