Pietrangelo suspended 1 game for slashing Draisaitl

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will sit out one playoff game for his actions in a Game 4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night, the NHL announced Thursday.

Pietrangelo lost his cool and took a hefty chop at Leon Draisaitl in the waning minutes of the 4-1 defeat.

Draisaitl, who paces the postseason with 13 goals and 18 points, just missed scoring an empty-netter before Pietrangelo whacked him.

Oilers captain Connor McDavid said postgame that Pietrangelo should be suspended for the play.

"You'd like to see it reviewed for sure," McDavid told reporters. "I would like to see it suspended. It's as intent to injure as you can get. Time, score, clock all play a factor. He comes over his own head and places it just under Leon's chin. You'd like to see something like that suspended. That's not a hockey play."

Pietrangelo might've still been upset after getting cross-checked from behind into the boards a few minutes earlier by Evander Kane.

The league had never suspended Pietrangelo in his 15-year NHL career before Thursday's ruling.

There was much more feistiness in Wednesday's contest as Darnell Nurse and Nic Hague dropped the mitts in the final minute.

Nurse received an instigator penalty for his role in the scrap. Since the infraction occurred in the game's final five minutes, he was subject to an automatic one-game suspension that was upheld Thursday.

Game 5 is set for Friday in Vegas with the series even at two games apiece.