Nugent Bowman: Mzitiri right to claim Alex Pietrangelo’s suspension after ‘dirty’ cut on Leon Dricetel

EDMONTON — Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid isn’t getting too mad about it. Except for a handful of times per season, he’s not prone to ruffled feathers when answering reporters’ questions.

The moments after Wednesday’s 4-1 win in Game 4 — a win that evened the series with the Golden Knights — was one of those few exceptions. And for good reason.

McDavid did his best to stay composed, but it wasn’t hard to tell he was really angry.

He had just watched his buddy Leon Drystell — McCartney to Lennon — lay on the ice, the result of a vicious break from Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo at 18:33 of the third period.

“It’s an intention to injure as much as you can injure,” McDavid said. Time, score, clock all play a factor.

“It comes over the top of his head and puts it under Leon’s chin. You want to see something like that hanging. This isn’t hockey.”

McDavid is here. If that’s not an offense worthy of comment, it’s hard to know what is.

There is no other way to say it. Pietrangelo should be forced to sit out Game 5.

There were no broken bones – at least that we know of – but the manner in which Pietrangelo attacked Draisaitl wasn’t far from Valery Kharlamov’s infamous Bobby Clarke man.

Let’s go over all the issues.

Pietrangelo hitting the woodwork wasn’t a bit late, coming so long after Draisaitl wasted his back on an empty Vegas grid that you can slowly count to three before making a contract.

The slash nearly hit Drysaytle’s face, McDaid said. It looked like it hit Draisaitl’s left arm or hand. Either way, for McDavid, that smells of someone trying to take out not just any player, but one who has a historically amazing playoff streak.

Just like Clark in Kharlamov, if you can’t stop him, hurt him.

What Pietrangelo did wasn’t surprisingly wrong in the limits of a puck fight. She was calculating and harsh.

“The league should seriously look at that,” said Ryan Nugent Hopkins. “We know what he’s trying to do.

“We’re leading 4-1 at that point. It’s game over. He takes the liberty on it.”

The NHL’s Player Safety Department’s choice not to suspend Pietrangelo for Game 5 would undermine the judgment of the on-ice officials working Wednesday night, referee Chris Rooney.

Rooney issued a major penalty and game misconduct to Pietrangelo, a decision which was upheld on video review. There is no doubt that this was the right call.

But with only 1:27 left on the clock in a lopsided game, Pietrangelo’s penalty was basically meaningless.

Allowing Pietrangelo to dress up on Friday night means he’ll get rid of any smut.

Losing Pietrangelo for any length of time would be a huge blow to the Golden Knights. He averaged 24:37 in the heats, four minutes more than any other teammate. It’s the best of the three series now, too. These games are very important.

This should not be factored into the equation at all.

Cal Makar is the best defender in the game and is so athletic that he turned down a penalty kick against an opponent this season. He was also suspended in Game 5 of Colorado’s first-round series against Seattle after Jared McCann was hit with a late hit in the previous contest.

The Avalanche lost Game Five without Makar and dropped the series at seven. Too bad; very sad.

It is not difficult to say that what Pietrangelo did to Dracetel is worse than Makar’s blow to Macan.

It’s hard sometimes to judge intent on the ice, but it’s not hard to see that as anything other than Pietrangelo trying to hurt an opponent—and hurt him badly.

“It was a very dirty play,” said Nick Begstad. “If you watch the video, it’ll be over for a few seconds. It’s not like he’s trying to do a hockey puck.

“I’m just thankful Leon is okay.”

I searched for a second or two that it wasn’t. Obviously, this is what triggered McDavid.

He was so angry that he almost fought Pietrangelo – which would have been his first fight since McDavid broke his hand at 17 years old in the Ontario Hockey League. Fend off that urging with the help of linemen Brad Kovacek and Matt MacPherson.

MacDavid said he and the Zytrians had a bigger fish to fry. This, of course, is to win two of the next three games and take out the Golden Knights and fulfill their Stanley Cup aspirations.

It would be difficult to do without Draisaitl.

“Obviously we don’t like it,” said McDavid. “We replied.”

Now, it’s up to the league’s player safety department to do its job properly and respond accordingly as well.

(Photo by Leon Drystel: Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)