NHL announces punishment for top Golden Knights defenseman

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will be suspended for one game as punishment for his actions late in a Game 4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers according to a release from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.

The incident happened with the Golden Knights trailing 4-1 and their goaltender pulled for an extra attacker. Oilers star forward Leon Draisaitl was skating into the Golden Knights' zone with the puck and back-handed it toward the yawning cage. He barely missed, but a few seconds after releasing the puck, Pietranglo continued toward him and slashed him on the forearm.

It was not just a small slash on the wrist, either, but rather an obvious attempt to injure an opponent via a two-handed swing, akin to a lumberjack trying to split a block of wood into two pieces with a rusted hatchet. The puck was long gone at that point, the play around Draisaitl was over and for all Pietranglo knew, the puck could have already been in the Golden Knights’ net.

Pietrangelo was assessed a five-minute major penalty for slashing and a game misconduct following the ugly moment. The Department of Player Safety took a closer look at the incident on Thursday and held a hearing with the Golden Knights defenseman on Thursday morning. It was ultimately determined that a one-game ban was necessary for such a reckless and needless slash of an unsuspecting opponent.

The Golden Knights will now be without their top defender as they look to take a series lead in Game 5. The two teams have traded blowout victories in this series, with the teams now locked up at two wins apiece.