Golden Knights' Alex Pietrangelo Suspended One Game

The NHL Department of Player Safety has suspended Golden Knights' defender Alex Pietrangelo for one game for his slash on Oilers' forward Leon Draisaitl.

The Vegas Golden Knights will be without arguably their best defenseman for the club's critical Game 5 matchup with the Edmonton Oilers on Friday. 

The NHL's department of player safety announced on Thursday it has suspended Golden Knights defender Alex Pietrangelo for one game for his slash on Oilers' forward Leon Draisaitl toward the end of the teams' Game 4 meeting on Wednesday. 

This marks the first time in Pietrangelo's 15-year NHL career that he's been subject to supplemental discipline, as the 33-year-old has never received a suspension or been fined by the league up until now. Still, Pietrangelo's actions on Wednesday are undoubtedly worthy of discipline. And while many fans believe that Pietrangelo should be subject to harsher punishment, the decision ultimately rests with the DoPS. 

Now, both teams will head into Game 5 missing key defenders, with Edmonton's Darnell Nurse also receiving a one-game ban for instigating a fight with Vegas' Nicholas Hague in the final minute of Game 4.