Josh Anderson suspended for hit on Golden Knights’ Pietrangelo

The Vegas Golden Knights were able to pick up a 6-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night, but it didn’t come without some controversy.

At the midway point of the third period, with the Golden Knights holding a commanding 5-2 lead, Habs forward Josh Anderson took a clear run at Alex Pietrangelo, and the result was an ugly one. Prior to the check being made, Pietrangelo turned to face the boards, and despite being able to see nothing but his back, Anderson ran him from behind.

To the surprise of no one, Anderson was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct for boarding. Even still, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety decided it wasn’t enough, and chose to suspend Anderson for two games. As a result, he will miss Tuesday night’s game versus the Detroit Red Wings, as well as a Wednesday night tilt against the Vancouver Canucks.

While you never want to see a dirty play like this, there are some positives to draw from it from the Golden Knights’ perspective. First and foremost is that Pietrangelo was fine, to the point that he himself got up and tried to go after Anderson. Second is that several teammates jumped into help defend the veteran rearguard, proving just how tightknit of a team this is.

The tightness between this group is a big reason why they find themselves currently riding a seven-game winning streak. After a down 2021-22 season, it appears the Golden Knights are back with a vengeance in 2022-23, as they own an NHL best 11-2-0 record on the year. They will look to improve upon that record Tuesday in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are riding a three game winning streak of their own and currently stand in third in the Atlantic Division with 16 points in 13 games played.