Darnell Nurse picked up the puck behind his personal web and began to maneuver up ice.
The Oilers defenceman by no means noticed Maple Leafs ahead Ryan Reaves coming.
It was each gamers’ final act in Saturday evening’s back-and-forth tilt at Scotiabank Enviornment.
Nurse was left bloodied and needed to be helped to the locker room after taking a success to the pinnacle from Reaves early within the second interval of Toronto’s 4-3 additional time victory in opposition to Edmonton.
The blueliner stayed down for a couple of minutes in entrance of a hushed crowd as he was attended to by trainers. Reaves, who exchanged phrases with Oilers captain Connor McDavid earlier than heading down the tunnel for an early bathe, was assessed a five-minute match penalty.
Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch didn’t present an damage replace post-game, however Nurse was noticed within the hallway exterior the locker room with a lower over his swollen proper eye.
“It’s a harmful play,” Oilers ahead Ryan Nugent-Hopkins mentioned. “(Reaves) has acquired to know that Nursey doesn’t see him coming and select the suitable path there, and he doesn’t. It’s powerful to see certainly one of your teammates on the ice like that.
“Harmful play.”
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Edmonton centre Adam Henrique, who opened the scoring early within the first, mentioned the sport is performed at a excessive price of velocity, however added NHLers can alter their our bodies to keep away from contact like Reaves on Nurse.
“We’re skilled athletes and we’re capable of make these choices fast,” Henrique mentioned. “You realize when a man’s susceptible or in a foul spot.
“One you don’t wish to see.”
The 29-year-old Nurse has two targets and 7 assists in 18 video games this season.
“Penalty kill, energy play, 5-on-5 minutes,” Knoblauch mentioned. “He’s an important piece of our crew, particularly how properly he had been enjoying this final week or two.”
Nugent-Hopkins has battled alongside Nurse for greater than a decade within the Alberta capital.
“He’s big to our group on the ice, off the ice,” he mentioned. “You by no means wish to see anyone in your crew, it doesn’t matter what, get hit like that and go down. However Nursey’s such an enormous a part of our group.
“We clearly really feel it.”
The six-foot-two, 225-pound Reaves has been suspended thrice in his NHL profession, together with twice for dangerous hits, for a complete of six video games. The 37-year-old has additionally been fined on two events.
“That’s the aspect of the sport you by no means wish to see,” Leafs winger Bobby McMann, who scored twice Saturday, mentioned of the collision. “Guys are enjoying arduous. I don’t suppose he was making an attempt to complete excessive like that — I do know he wasn’t. He’s simply enjoying it arduous and making an attempt to get via guys, making an attempt to win a hockey sport.
“Generally you clip a man the flawed approach.”
Nugent-Hopkins didn’t chunk when requested about potential supplemental self-discipline from the NHL’s Division of Participant Security.
“The decision on the ice, that was the suitable name,” he mentioned. “They need to take a superb, arduous look, for positive.”
The Leafs have been trailing 2-1 when Reaves thumped the unsuspecting Nurse, however killed off the Oilers’ five-minute energy play.
“All of us want Darnell properly,” mentioned Toronto head coach Craig Berube, who added he had but to have a look at a replay of the hit. “We don’t prefer to see that on anyone, however we knew it was a giant second within the sport — getting a kill — they usually did a wonderful job.
“Glorious job.”
Nugent-Hopkins mentioned the Oilers all spoke to Nurse throughout the intermission, which helped calm any fear.
“He’s a troublesome buyer,” Nugent-Hopkins mentioned. “I believe he most likely (downplays it) a bit of greater than he’s feeling.”
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