Oilers expecting big Darnell Nurse boost vs. Rangers

The Edmonton Oilers are expected to get a major boost to their defensive corps for Saturday night’s matchup against the New York Rangers.

Defenseman Darnell Nurse, who has missed the last handful of games after he was the recipient of a dirty headshot by Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves on Saturday night, is expected to suit up alongside the rest of his teammates at Rogers Place.

The update was given by head coach Kris Knoblauch, who indicated the value of Nurse’s presence on the blue line owing to the amount of minutes he plays and his passing abilities, via NHL.com.

“We’re anticipating he’s ready to play tonight,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Saturday. “First of all, he plays 22-25 minutes every night. He’s good at transporting the puck, getting it out of the zone and then the biggest thing is how much area he covers defensively.

To play against him, there’s not much room, one, because of his quickness and then two, his reach. And if you do get into a battle with him, he’s incredibly strong that he can push somebody off the puck, so he’s difficult to play against.”

Nurse has two goals and seven assists for the Oilers this season; he also contributed two goals and four assists in 25 postseason games as the Oilers advanced to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

Ryan Reaves was suspended for five games for his hit on Darnell Nurse

During Saturday night’s game at Scotiabank Arena, Nurse was hurt when Leafs forward Ryan Reaves checked him illegally, with Nurse’s head being ruled the principal point of contact.

For his actions, Reaves was suspended for five games, adding to his already lengthy list of suspensions that he’s had to serve throughout his NHL career.

He’ll be fresh, and he plays big minutes and he’s a big part of the team,” said Nurse’s teammate Brett Kulak. “It’s not just like calling someone up and slotting him in for some minutes; he’s a big part of the team and everything kind of happens around him, so it’ll be good to have him back.”

Saturday’s game is set to face-off at 10:00 PM EST.

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