Welp, hold up that glittery VGK hype for just a sec, because yeah, Alex Pietrangelo’s gonna have to sit tight a little longer before jumping into Round 2 action. The Knights are rolling into their fifth second-round appearance in just eight seasons like it’s tradition at this point, fresh off a sizzling series win over the Wild. They iced Minnesota in six games, ripping off three dubs in a row like it was nothing. And now? They’re gearing up to lock horns with the Oilers again; a rematch with all the spice from 2023, where Vegas knocked out Edmonton in six and skated off with their first-ever Stanley Cup.
But this year’s dance with Connor McDavid’s crew isn’t looking like a gentle stroll either. Adin Hill’s already bracing for a “physical” and “chippy” grind, and Jack Eichel’s practically circling it in red ink, calling it emotional and cutthroat. And just as the Knights were lacing up for Game 1 at home Tuesday night? Boom, news drops: no Alex Pietrangelo for now. Yup, their star D-man’s still out, and fans are gonna have to wait to see that signature swagger back on the blue line. But wondering what happened to him?
The Golden Knights just hopped on X with a bit of a buzzkill: “Update: Alex Pietrangelo is out of tonight’s game due to an illness.” And honestly? It’s just another twist in the rollercoaster season for the VGK blueliner. Pietrangelo’s been riding the injury wave for a while now. He already skipped the Four Nations tourney to nurse those mysterious “ailments,” and now he is benched again right when things are heating up. Not the timing you want when the Oilers are sharpening their skates and licking their chops for Round 2.
Update: Alex Pietrangelo is out of tonight’s game due to an illness. #VegasBorn
— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 7, 2025
Chris Gawlik from Locked On Vegas has been keeping it real on this situation for a hot minute, throwing up some red flags about Petro’s play. And he didn’t sugarcoat it either—“Last couple of games, Matt Boldy, he just basically made Alex Pietrangelo become a turnstile.” If you’re picturing Boldy skating past him like he had an express pass at an amusement park, yeah, same. Gawlik added that some of those defensive lapses turned into key goals for Minnesota, calling Petro more of a “passenger” than a stopper on the ice.
Still, there’s a sliver of gold in the Vegas skyline. Gawlik did toss in a silver lining, saying the time off could be healing magic: “If Pietrangelo goes from 64 percent to about 79 percent with this time off, then the Golden Knights I think will be okay.” So yeah, maybe this quick timeout is just what Petro needs to ditch the turnstile rep and come back ready to shut things down. For now though, VGK fans are just hoping the illness is short, and the comeback? Loud.
This story is developing…
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