Oilers’ Darnell Nurse suspended for Game 5 after instigating fight

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse will miss Friday night’s playoff game against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Nurse received instigator and misconduct penalties for fighting Nic Hague after Alex Pietrangelo’s slashing penalty in the final minute of the Oilers’ 4-1 win in Game 4. 

Since the instigator penalty occurred in the final minute, it carries an automatic one-game suspension.

The NHL upheld the decision.

The sloppy ending of the game resulted in multiple penalties and skirmishes.

Misconduct penalties were handed out to Vegas’ Chandler Stephenson, Jonathan Marchessault and Brett Howden as well as Edmonton’s Kailer Yamamoto and Evander Kane. The Knights’ Hague went out for fighting.

MAPLE LEAFS AVOID SWEEP, FORCE SERIES AGAINST PANTHERS BACK TO TORONTO

Golden Knights defenseman Pietrangelo took a misconduct penalty with just under 90 seconds remaining. After a Leon Draisaitl shot went wide of the net, Pietrangelo slashed the Oilers’ forward across the arms.

“That was a really, really dangerous slash,” Draisaitl said. “I think those are things that have nothing to do with hockey or the game. You can seriously injure someone with a slash like that.”

Oilers captain Connor McDavid said Pietrangelo should be suspended. His coach, Jay Woodcroft, agreed.

“I would not define it as a hockey play, and I’d leave it at that,” Woodcroft said.

Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said Pietrangelo has been a model player.

“He’s got no history of suspension or being called on the carpet by the league,” Cassidy said. “Petro’s a pretty honest player, I can attest to that. We love the way he plays the game for us.”

Pietrangelo had a hearing with the department of player safety. The result of Thursday’s hearing could result in the Golden Knights’ best defenseman being unavailable for Game 5 as their second-round series hangs in the balance.

Woodcroft was automatically fined $10,000 fine due to Nurse’s suspension.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.