Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has been suspended one game for head-butting Kings forward Phillip Danault in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. The Oilers are down 3-2 heading into Thursday’s Game 6 at Los Angeles.
The play occurred 19:50 into the second period after the Kings fired a shot on goal and Oilers goaltender Mike Smith made the save. Nurse was not penalized on the play.
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Danault sayed in the game and scored in the third period. Adrian Kempe scored in overtime to give Los Angeles a 5-4 win and the series lead.
Nurse had 35 points in 71 games this season while averaging 25:03 of ice time per game. In this series, he has two points and is a plus-5 while averaging 21:45 of action per game.
Oilers forward Zack Kassian was also fined $5,000 for cross-checking Kings defenseman Sean Durzi. The play happened at the 19:00 mark of the second period and Kassian was given a minor for cross-checking.
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(Photo: Codie McLachlan / Getty Images)
How will the Oilers replace Nurse?
Daniel Nugent-Bowman, Oilers beat reporter: Nurse missed the last four regular-season games with a lower-body injury, returning for Game 1. The team played seven defensemen that night with veteran Kris Russell in the lineup. Russell is the next man up, likely on the third pair with Tyson Barrie. Brett Kulak got bumped up to a pairing with Cody Ceci when Nurse was out down the stretch. It was more of a defense-by-committee approach.
Another option: The Oilers recalled prospect Philip Broberg, who practiced with the team when the series was in Los Angeles. They could play seven blueliners. Broberg was nearby in Stockton, Calif., where the Bakersfield Condors are preparing to play Game 2 of their AHL playoff series on Wednesday night.
Is the punishment too harsh, too lenient or just right?
Nugent-Bowman: Were it the regular season, this suspension would probably be too light. However, banning a player for playoff games is considered a stiffer punishment, and Nurse isn't a repeat offender. It seems closer to just right as a result. This is a massive loss for the Oilers to be without their top blueliner in an elimination game.
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How can the Kings take advantage?
Lisa Dillman, Kings beat reporter: As much as Kings coach Todd McLellan has consistently said during the series that they need to be better — hello, special teams — they still can’t deviate much from what got them to this point. The Oilers aren’t blessed with depth on the back end and certainly, the Kings will try to exploit that weakness whether it’s veteran shot-blocker extraordinaire Kris Russell or rookie Philip Broberg drawing into the lineup. They still need to be that well-coached defensive machine that has frustrated two of the greatest players in the game at five-on-five.