Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse leaves game after Reave's head shot: 'Dangerous play' – Edmonton

Darnell Nurse grabbed the puck behind his own net and started moving up the ice.

The Oilers defenseman never saw Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves coming.

It was the final act for both players in Saturday night's back-and-forth battle at Scotiabank Arena.

The nurse was left bloodied and had to be helped to the locker room after taking a blow to the head from Reaves early in the second period of Toronto's 4-3 win over Edmonton.

The blueliner lay down for a few minutes in front of a hushed crowd as he was assisted by trainers. Reaves, who exchanged words with Oilers captain Connor McDavid before heading into the tunnel for an early shower, was assessed a five-minute match penalty.

Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch did not provide an injury update after the game, but Nurse was spotted in the hallway outside the locker room with a cut on his swollen right eye.

“It's a dangerous play,” Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said. “(Reaves) needs to know that Nursey doesn't see him coming and takes the right path there, and he doesn't do that. It's hard to see one of your teammates on the ice like that.

“Dangerous game.”

Receive national news daily

Get the day's top news, political, economic and current headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Edmonton center Adam Henrique, who opened the scoring early in the first, said the game is played at high speed, but added that NHLers can adjust their bodies to avoid contact, like Reaves on Nurse.

“We are professional athletes and we can make those decisions quickly,” Henrique said. “You know when a man is vulnerable or in a bad place.

“One you don't want to see.”

The 29-year-old Nurse has two goals and seven assists in 18 games this season.

“Penalties, power play, five-on-five minutes,” Knoblauch said. “He is a very important part of our team, especially because he has played so well in the last two weeks.”

Nugent-Hopkins has competed alongside Nurse in Alberta's capital for more than a decade.

“He is of great importance to our group, both on and off the ice,” he said. “You never want anyone on your team, no matter what, to get hit like that and go down. But Nursey is a big part of our group.

“Of course we feel it.”

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Reaves has been suspended three times in his NHL career, including twice for bad hits, for a total of six games. The 37-year-old has also been fined twice.

“That's the side of the game you never want to see,” Leafs winger Bobby McMann, who scored twice on Saturday, said of the collision. “Guys play hard. I don't think he was trying to finish that high – I know he didn't. He just plays hard and tries to get through guys, trying to win a hockey game.

“Sometimes you cut a man the wrong way.”

Nugent-Hopkins didn't bat an eyelid when asked about possible additional discipline from the NHL's Department of Player Safety.

“The call on the ice, that was the right decision,” he said. “They should definitely take a closer look.”

The Leafs were down 2-1 when Reaves punched the unsuspecting Nurse, but killed the Oilers' five-minute power play.

“We all wish Darnell the best,” said Toronto head coach Craig Berube, who added that he had yet to watch a replay of the goal. “We don't like to see that from anyone, but we knew this was a big moment in the game – getting a kill – and they did a great job.

“Excellent work.”

Nugent-Hopkins said the Oilers all spoke to Nurse during the break, which allayed concerns.

“He's a tough customer,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “I think he's probably downplaying it a little more than he feels.”

&copy 2024 The Canadian Press