Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse exits game after Reaves head shot: ‘Dangerous play’

Darnell Nurse picked up the puck down his ain nett and started to determination up ice.

The Oilers defenceman ne'er saw Maple Leafs guardant Ryan Reaves coming.

It was some players’ past enactment successful Saturday night’s back-and-forth tilt astatine Scotiabank Arena.

Nurse was near bloodied and had to beryllium helped to the locker country aft taking a deed to the caput from Reaves aboriginal successful the 2nd play of Toronto’s 4-3 overtime triumph against Edmonton.

The blueliner stayed down for a fewer minutes successful beforehand of a hushed assemblage arsenic helium was attended to by trainers. Reaves, who exchanged words with Oilers captain Connor McDavid earlier heading down the passageway for an aboriginal shower, was assessed a five-minute lucifer penalty.

Edmonton caput manager Kris Knoblauch didn’t supply an wounded update post-game, but Nurse was spotted successful the hallway extracurricular the locker country with a chopped implicit his swollen close eye.

“It’s a unsafe play,” Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said. “(Reaves) has got to cognize that Nursey doesn’t spot him coming and take the close way there, and helium doesn’t. It’s pugnacious to spot 1 of your teammates connected the crystal similar that.

“Dangerous play.”

Edmonton centre Adam Henrique, who opened the scoring aboriginal successful the first, said the crippled is played astatine a precocious complaint of speed, but added NHLers tin set their bodies to debar interaction similar Reaves connected Nurse.

“We’re nonrecreational athletes and we’re capable to marque those decisions quick,” Henrique said. “You cognize erstwhile a guy’s susceptible oregon successful a atrocious spot.

“One you don’t privation to see.”

The 29-year-old Nurse has 2 goals and 7 assists successful 18 games this season.

“Penalty kill, powerfulness play, 5-on-5 minutes,” Knoblauch said. “He’s a precise important portion of our team, particularly however good helium had been playing this past week oregon two.”

Nugent-Hopkins has battled alongside Nurse for much than a decennary successful the Alberta capital.

“He’s immense to our radical connected the ice, disconnected the ice,” helium said. “You ne'er privation to spot anybody connected your team, nary substance what, get deed similar that and spell down. But Nursey’s specified a immense portion of our group.

“We evidently consciousness it.”

The six-foot-two, 225-pound Reaves has been suspended 3 times successful his NHL career, including doubly for atrocious hits, for a full of six games. The 37-year-old has besides been fined connected 2 occasions.

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“That’s the broadside of the crippled you ne'er privation to see,” Leafs winger Bobby McMann, who scored doubly Saturday, said of the collision. “Guys are playing hard. I don’t deliberation helium was trying to decorativeness precocious similar that — I cognize helium wasn’t. He’s conscionable playing it hard and trying to get done guys, trying to triumph a hockey game.

“Sometimes you clip a feline the incorrect way.”

Nugent-Hopkins didn’t wound erstwhile asked astir imaginable supplemental subject from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.

“The telephone connected the ice, that was the close call,” helium said. “They should instrumentality a good, hard look, for sure.”

The Leafs were trailing 2-1 erstwhile Reaves thumped the unsuspecting Nurse, but killed disconnected the Oilers’ five-minute powerfulness play.

“We each privation Darnell well,” said Toronto caput manager Craig Berube, who added helium had yet to look astatine a replay of the hit. “We don’t similar to spot that connected anybody, but we knew it was a large infinitesimal successful the crippled — getting a termination — and they did an fantabulous job.

“Excellent job.”

Nugent-Hopkins said the Oilers all spoke to Nurse during the intermission, which helped calm immoderate worry.

“He’s a pugnacious customer,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “I deliberation helium astir apt (downplays it) a small much than he’s feeling.”