The latest incident happened in Game 4 when the Oilers played the Golden Knights. Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo decided to do a two-hand across the forearm of Oilers superstar centerman Leon Draisaitl. Draisaitl took his shot with the puck long gone when Pietrangelo decided to do this infraction.
The NHL assessed Pietrangelo with a one-game suspension. Since he showed a complete disregard for following the rules and intending to injure one of the NHL's best stars, many fans, media members and others went to multiple social media platforms and expressed their anger and displeasure with the verdict feeling that this man should have received much more than a one-game suspension.
When George Parros became the Director of Player's Safety, he stated that slashing was one of his main focuses going into the job. A former enforcer and goon of the NHL, who was in the penalty box more than he scored any goals in his career failed in his mandate to address these kinds of infractions.
Fans don't like what happened here, and it remains to be seen whether any changes will come after the season is over with the inconsistencies in refereeing and the handy notes of suspensions and fines. But something needs to be done soon.
POLL | ||
Should Pietrangelo have received more than one game for his slash on Leon Draisaitl? | ||
Yes | 574 | 91.7 % |
No | 52 | 8.3 % |
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