Stano’s Daily: Knights & Oilers Get Heated & Leafs Survive Sweep

Two of the Los Angeles Kings' biggest rivals, the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers, are embroiled in one of the nastier second-round matchups in the NHL right now.

The Oilers' 4-1 win on Wednesday was overshadowed by some dirty plays away from the puck and potential hearings.

Both Alex Pietrangelo and Darnell Nurse are potentially out for Game Five. With Nurse's automatic suspension for an instigator penalty in the last five minutes of a game under review Thursday morning. And Pietrangelo's hearing with the Department of Player Safety after his two-handed chop on Leon Draisaitl after the whistle.

Pietrangelo should absolutely be suspended for his slash. It was an absurd play, two-handing someone well after an empty net goal can't go unpunished by the league.

It's a dirty, non-hockey play.

And I get the argument that Edmonton was taking liberties with Knights' players all night, including a few shots to Pietrangelo. But that doesn't change the fact that what Pietrangelo did is unacceptable. 

Friday's Game Five is going to be must-watch television between these two teams and that one could get violent.

Leafs Live to Fight Another Day:

On the brink of an embarrassing second-round sweep, the Toronto Maple Leafs got a much-needed win, beating the Florida Panthers 2-1 in Sunrise.

This feels like delaying the inevitable a little bit, as I don't see Toronto performing a reverse sweep over Florida. But, they have life.

If Toronto drops Game Five, we could see some house cleaning and Kyle Dubas in Pittsburg potentially. 

Every summer after the Leafs are eliminated is chaos, but this summer is going to be crazy. Expect a lot of trade rumors and trust few of them.

National Hockey Now:

MontrealHockeyNow: Could the uncertainty surrounding Matvei Michkov prompt the Montreal Canadiens to trade down?

SanJoseHockeyNow: Despite fan and media criticism of Erik Karlsson's defense, his peers are sure impressed. Karlsson's a Ted Lindsay nominee.

BostonHockeyNow: From one Ted Lindsay runner-up to another — we all know Connor McDavid is winning — David Pastrnak's 60-goal season earned him some praise.