Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse will miss Friday night’s NHL playoff game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Nurse received incitement and misconduct penalties for fighting Nic Hague after Alex Pietrangelo’s slashing penalty in the last minute of the Oilers’ 4-1 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinal series on Wednesday. .
Since the instigator’s penalty came at the last minute, it carries an automatic one-match suspension.
The NHL upheld the decision.
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Edmonton Oilers’ Darnell Nurse (25) fights Vegas Golden Knights’ Nicolas Hague (14) in the third period of Game 4 of the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Wednesday . (Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
The sloppy ending of the game resulted in multiple penalties and skirmishes.
Misconduct penalties were imposed on Las Vegas’ Chandler Stephenson, Jonathan Marchessault and Brett Howden, as well as Edmonton’s Kailer Yamamoto and Evander Kane. The Knights’ Beech came out to fight.
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Golden Knights defenseman Pietrangelo received a misconduct penalty with just under 90 seconds remaining. After Leon Draisaitl’s shot went wide of the net, Pietrangelo lopped off the Oilers forward’s arms.
«That was a very, very dangerous cut,» Draisaitl said. «I think those are things that have nothing to do with hockey or the game. You can seriously hurt someone with a cut like that.»
Edmonton Oilers’ Darnell Nurse defends the net in the third period against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 of the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Wednesday. (Lawrence Scott/Getty Images)
Oilers captain Connor McDavid said Pietrangelo should be suspended. His trainer, Jay Woodcroft, agreed.
«I wouldn’t define it as a hockey play and leave it at that,» Woodcroft said.
Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said Pietrangelo has been a model player.
«He has no history of suspension or being called to the mat by the league,» Cassidy said. «Petro is a pretty honest player, I can vouch for that. We love the way he plays for us.»
Edmonton Oilers’ Darnell Nurse (25) skates against Vegas Golden Knights’ Alex Pietrangelo (7) in Game 4 of the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Wednesday. (Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
Pietrangelo was scheduled for a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on Thursday. The outcome of the hearing could result in the Golden Knights’ top defenseman being unavailable for Game 5, as their second-round series hangs in the balance.
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Woodcroft was automatically fined $10,000 due to Nurse’s suspension.
Associated Press contributed to this report.