The Vegas Golden Knights are shockingly facing elimination in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Vegas won the first two games of their first-round series against the Dallas Stars. However, they have now lost the last three games, including Game 5 on Wednesday night. And their recent loss can be traced back to an Alex Pietrangelo penalty.
In the second period, Pietrangelo was hit by Stars forward Tyler Seguin. After a brief pause, the Golden Knights defender swung a glove into Seguin's face. The veteran rearguard went to the penalty box for his blatant cheap shot. On the ensuing power play, Stars forward Jason Robertson scored what ended up being the game-winning goal.
Pietrangelo wanted to get back at Seguin for a hit earlier in the period. The Stars veteran had hit Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore in the head. Seguin received a penalty for an illegal check to the head. However, Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy wanted to see more restraint from his veteran blueliner.
“Listen, we didn’t like the hit on Theodore by Seguin,” Cassidy said, via NHL.com. “Quite obvious, left his feet, targeted the head. So, you’re going to be upset, right? But that’s playoff hockey. You’ve got to find a way to channel it, and then there’s controlled aggression out there all over the ice in every series. That’s an area [where] you’ve got to take a number and try to get those things squared away [later].”
Alex Pietrangelo is no stranger to playoff controversy
Alex Pietrangelo has been around the block. In 2019, he was the captain of the St. Louis Blues when they won the Stanley Cup. Last season saw the veteran blueliner play a key role in Vegas winning their first championship, as well. However, he has a history of losing his head in important situations.
Just last season, Pietrangelo earned a suspension in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Golden Knights defender took a slash at Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl. That incident happened under similar circumstances, as well. Edmonton and Vegas were tied 2-2 in the series at the time of the slash.
In the end, Vegas weathered that storm. They defeated the Oilers in six games en route to their Western Conference Finals clash with the Stars. This year, though, Alex Pietrangelo may have cost them Game 5. And if Vegas is unable to win Game 6 in Las Vegas, you could argue that this penalty cost his team the series.
Golden Knights need to keep composure
The Golden Knights spoke about needing to keep their emotions in check following Wednesday's loss. Veteran defenseman Alec Martinez even brought up the subject apropos of nothing when talking with the media. “There’s going to be momentum shifts throughout games and throughout series, and you’ve got to handle that with composure, and I think we let our emotions get the best of us in the second there,” Martinez said, via NHL.com.
On the topic of Pietrangelo, Martinez reiterated his importance to the team. But the three-time Stanley Cup champion doubled down on the importance of reigning in the emotions. “He's a leader on this team,” Martinez said of his teammate, via NHL.com. “You know, playoffs are an emotional time. It’s a revved-up environment. Can’t win without emotion, either. But you’ve got to keep it in check.”
Whether Alex Pietrangelo receives any discipline from the league remains to be seen. In any event, the veteran Golden Knights defenseman has put his team in a bad spot. Now, Vegas has to win their next two games if they want to keep their Stanley Cup championship defense alive in 2024.
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