Connect with us

Published

on

EDMONTON — It was a vicious end between Edmonton and Vegas in Game 4 of their Western Conference second-round series on Wednesday when Golden Knights’ alternate captain Alex Pietrangelo slashed Oilers star Leon Draisaitl while he attempted an empty-net shot late in the third period in Edmonton’s 4-1 victory.

Pietrangelo earned a five-minute major and game misconduct for his actions against Draisaitl, who paces the playoff field with 13 goals and 17 points.

The play didn’t sit well with Draisaitl’s teammates, who wondered if the Golden Knights’ blueliner deserves supplemental discipline from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.

“You would like to see it reviewed for sure. I’d like to see it suspended,” said Edmonton captain Connor McDavid, who challenged Pietrangelo immediately following the slash on Draisaitl. “It was as intent to injure as you can get. That was not a hockey play.”

Pietrangelo has a goal and assist in the second-round series so far. The veteran has never been suspended in his career.

Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft held back when asked about Pietrangelo, but believed someone at the league would look at the play.

“If you’re asking my opinion on that play, I would not define it as a hockey play,” Woodcroft said. “And I’ll leave it at that.”

There was more chippy activity toward the end of Game 4 after Pietrangelo made his exit. On the ensuing Oilers’ power play, Darnell Nurse and Nicolas Hague traded fisticuffs, with Nurse getting an instigator penalty that sent him out for the night.

Receiving an instigator penalty in the final five minutes is generally an automatic one-game suspension but can be overturned upon review.

“I saw the play going on, I saw Darnell wrap somebody up and I saw their player with his gloves off first,” Woodcroft said. “So to me, that’s two willing combatants. It’s not like someone was turtled up into a ball. I thought it started with [Hague] having his gloves off first and he threw the first eight punches.”

It all made for a tumultuous climax to a game the Oilers dominated.

Edmonton trailed Vegas 2-1 in the series going into Wednesday’s tilt after a lopsided 5-1 loss on Monday in Game 3. That’s the sort of roller coaster this matchup has been, with each game producing four or more goals from the winning side.

Edmonton has been at its best when special teams are heavily involved. The Oilers trounced Vegas 5-1 in Game 2’s infraction-fueled affair — with 124 penalty minutes doled out between the sides — that produced three power-play goals from the Oilers.

By comparison, when Edmonton fell 5-1 in Game 3, it went 0-for-2 with an extra man.

Edmonton didn’t capitalize specifically with its first power-play attempt but the momentum carried over 40 seconds later when Nick Bjugstad beat Adin Hill on a wraparound to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead.

Wednesday marked Hill’s first NHL playoff start, filling in for the injured Laurent Brossoit. Vegas’ No. 1 goalie was hurt in Game 3, and Hill was perfect making 28 saves in relief of Brossoit. The 26-year-old struggled mightily out of the gate in Game 4, though.

Minutes later, Edmonton was back on a power play, and Evan Bouchard needed just seconds to blast a shot through traffic to spot the Oilers to a 2-0 advantage less than 10 minutes into the opening frame.

Mattias Ekholm added another goal — his first in 11 games — to make it 3-0 Edmonton. That score would stand well into the second period until Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tallied his first goal in 12 games to give the Oilers a 4-0 advantage.

Vegas didn’t score until the third period when Nicolas Roy finally solved Stuart Skinner.

The Golden Knights host the Oilers in Game 5 on Friday.

Continue Reading

Sports

MLB: Iassogna crew chief, plate umpire for ASG

Published

on

By

MLB: Iassogna crew chief, plate umpire for ASG

NEW YORK — Dan Iassogna will be the umpire crew chief and work the plate during Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Atlanta’s Truist Park.

His crew will include Marvin Hudson at first, Chris Segal at second, Jansen Visconti at third, Jeremie Rehak in left and Erich Bacchus in right, Major League Baseball said Thursday.

Iassogna, 56, will work his second All-Star Game. He was at third base for the 2011 game at Arizona.

He worked his first big league game in 1999, was hired to the major league staff in 2004 and appointed a crew chief ahead of the 2020 season. Iassogna umpired the World Series in 2012, ’17 and ’22 along with eight League Championship Series and seven Division Series.

Segal, Visconti, Rehak and Bacchus will work their first All-Star Games and Hudson his second after being in left field in 2004 at Houston.

Tony Randazzo will be the replay umpire in New York.

Continue Reading

Sports

A’s Rooker joins list of HR Derby participants

Published

on

By

A's Rooker joins list of HR Derby participants

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Athletics slugger Brent Rooker is adding his name to the list of Home Run Derby participants.

Rooker announced Thursday that he’s participating in the event, which takes place Monday in Atlanta. He will become the first Athletics player in the Home Run Derby since Matt Olson in 2021.

“Competing in the Home Run Derby has always been a dream of mine,” Rooker said in an Instagram post. “Can’t wait to make it happen next week in Atlanta! See ya there!”

Rooker, 30, entered Thursday with a .270 batting average, 19 homers and 50 RBIs, putting him on pace for a third straight season of at least 30 homers. He went deep 30 times in 2023 and had 39 homers in 2024.

His 58 homers since the start of the 2024 season rank him third among all American League players.

The only A’s to win the Derby were Mark McGwire in 1992 and Yoenis Céspedes in 2013 and 2014.

Other announced participants include Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr., Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz, Seattle’s Cal Raleigh and Washington’s James Wood.

Continue Reading

Sports

Mets recall Acuna from Triple-A, DFA Jankowski

Published

on

By

Mets recall Acuna from Triple-A, DFA Jankowski

BALTIMORE — The New York Mets recalled 23-year-old utility man Luisangel Acuna from Triple-A Syracuse before Thursday’s split doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles.

The brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr., Luisangel Acuña went 13-for-45 (.286) for Syracuse after the Mets optioned him in late June.

Capable of playing second base, shortstop or the outfield, Acuna had batted .241 in 65 games before going to the minors.

“He was a big part of this team the first couple of months,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters. “We got to a point where we felt like, ‘Hey, let’s get him some everyday playing time. ‘And now it’s time for him to be back up here, continuing to help us win baseball games.”

In a corresponding move, the Mets designated outfielder Travis Jankowski for assignment.

Acuna was on the bench for New York’s first game of the doubleheader.

Continue Reading

Trending