Oilers' Darnell Nurse Suspended for Game 5 vs. Golden Knights; HC Jay Woodcroft Fined

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has been suspended for Game 5 of the team's second-round Stanley Cup playoffs matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights for instigating a fight in Wednesday's Game 4, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Thursday.

Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft was also fined $10,000.

At the 19:10 mark of the third period in Game 4, Nurse was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for instigating, a five-minute major penalty for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct after dropping the gloves with Vegas' Nicolas Hague.

The Oilers won 4-1 to even the second-round series at 2-2.

Nurse's suspension is a tough blow for the Oilers. Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said after the game that Hague asked for the fight before the faceoff, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

Nurse has been the team's most-used defenseman this postseason, averaging 23 minutes and 24 seconds on ice and recording four assists in 10 games. The 27-year-old has also been one of the franchise's best defensemen since bursting onto the scene full-time during the 2015-16 campaign, tallying a career-high 43 points this season.

With Nurse out for Game 5, Mattias Ekholm figures to slot into the first pairing alongside Cody Ceci. Philip Broberg may also be entered into the lineup on defense, likely on the third pairing.

In addition to Nurse, it's also possible Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will receive a suspension after being ejected from Game 4 following a brutal slash of Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl.

After Draisaitl missed a chance to score on an empty net late in the third period, Pietrangelo skated across the ice, lifted his stick in the air and brought it down on the Edmonton star's arm.

Pietrangelo has a hearing for the slash scheduled with the Department of Player Safety for Thursday.

Game 5 between the Oilers and Golden Knights will be played Friday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The winner will push its opponent to the brink of elimination.