The 2024 Western Conference Finals had not been going well for Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. He was criticized for how he played in the first three games against the Dallas Stars, as his team was trailing 2-1.
Needing a bounce-back performance, things got even uglier at the start of Game 4. Darnell Nurse was on the ice for both of the Stars’ goals in the first 5:29 of the game on Wednesday night. To make matters worse, one of the goals was deflected off of him from a shot by Esa Lindell.
Trailing 2-0 in the game and knowing he was about to go viral, Darnell Nurse could have packed it in. There was pressure already on him and the game started about as poorly as possible. But, there was nearly 55 minutes remaining in the game and he opted to turn things around.
His performance got better and he ended up motivating his teammates on the ice. It worked, as the Edmonton Oilers would score five goals unanswered, evening the series up at 2-2 with a 5-2 victory in Game 4.
“That would’ve been really hard for a lot of guys to recover from after everything that’s been going on,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “But personally, I thought it was his best game in the series. Maybe in the playoffs.”
Nothing was going Darnell Nurse’s way through the first three games and 5:29 on Game 4. He was on the ice most often for goals scored by the Stars during even-strength play. Goalie Stuart Skinner had only a .852 save percentage with the defenseman on the ice.
For the postseason, Darnell Nurse was -12 in plus/minus. That doesn’t paint the entire picture of a player’s performance, but it certainly is far from ideal. But, he responded when the team needed him most despite his struggles.
“A lot to be said about Darnell,” Oilers forward Connor Brown said. “Everyone and their dog coming at him this morning. Two tough bounces to start the game and he settles in and plays probably his best game of the playoffs and leads us to a victory. So that’s character right there.”
Game 5 will be Friday night as the Edmonton Oilers and Stars return to Dallas. Edmonton certainly hopes that Darnell Nurse can carry his production over from Game 4, as the team needs every player to perform to win a pivotal game on the road.
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