Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has been suspended one recreation for head-butting Kings center Phillip Danault, the NHL announced Wednesday.
The nurse will no longer be available when the Edmonton attempts to avoid elimination from its first-round Stanley Cup playoff collection in Game 6 in opposition to Los Angeles on Thursday.
The incident between Nurse and Danault happened late inside the 2d duration of Tuesday’s Game five. L.A. Changed into the energy play, and Nurse became jockeying for position with Danault in front of Oilers’ netminder Mike Smith. As Smith made a save, Nurse became his frame toward Danault and launched his head into the center’s face.
This is the second suspension of the Nurse’s profession — the other turned into a 3-sport ban in 2016 for an aggressor-rule violation in opposition to Roman Polak. That does not qualify Nurse as a repeat culprit below the NHL’s collective bargaining settlement, but being suspended for a postseason removal game reflects a harsher punishment than a one-sport suspension at some point of the normal season.
L.A. rallied from a 2-1 collection deficit, winning five-4 in OT in Game five, to guide the best-of-seven series 3-2.
The suspension leaves Edmonton to attempt to pressure a Game 7 without its protective stalwart. Nurse-led all Oilers in ordinary season ice time (averaging 25:03 according to the game) and is a critical a part of Edmonton’s sport at 5-on-five and special teams. He has averaged almost 22 minutes in postseason video games.