Darnell Nurse is likely heading for a chat with the NHL’s safety team after a controversial hit in Monday night’s heated battle between the Oilers and Kings.
The Edmonton defenseman got himself tossed from the game after a nasty cross-check to Quinton Byfield’s head – a move that’s got everyone talking.
It all went down near the Oilers’ net, where Nurse put Byfield in a headlock and drove him to the ice. But it’s what happened next that crossed the line: while Byfield was down, Nurse delivered a cross-check to the back of his helmet.
“Nurse can’t deliver that shot to the back of Byfield’s head. Whatever he gets, he deserves,” wrote Sportsnet’s Mark Spector during the game.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Edmonton. They’re already missing Mattias Ekholm, who’s probably done for the year. Losing another top defenseman is the last thing they need right now.
But here’s the good news for Oilers fans: any punishment might not be too harsh. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski points out that similar incidents haven’t led to major suspensions in the past. Just look at Andrew Mangiapane’s one-game ban last year for cross-checking Jared McCann.
A lot will depend on two things: how hard the league thinks that cross-check was, and whether Byfield’s injured.
The silver lining? The Oilers have already locked up their playoff spot. If Nurse does get suspended for the final regular-season game, it won’t hurt their postseason chances.
Multiple NHL insiders, including Frank Seravalli and Chris Johnston, have confirmed the league’s looking into the incident. We’ll probably hear something official pretty soon.
“The Oilers will be squirming this week,” Spector added. And he’s probably right about that.
