Darnell Nurse silences his doubters, playing the best hockey of his career
Photo credit: NHLPA
Darnell Nurse has been on an absolute heater as of late, playing the best defensive hockey of his career so far.
During the Edmonton Oilers last game against Utah HC, Darnell Nurse notched a timely goal to put the Edmonton Oilers up 2-0, visibly energized and enjoying his solid performance this season.
Darnell Nurse on a heater
According to Daily Hive, Nurse is a player who has always possessed a lot of gifts. He's an elite skater, has offensive skill, and is tough as nails. His hockey IQ, however, was often questioned. In the past, he's been prone to big gaffes defensively that, paired with his $9.25 million cap hit, has made him a lightning rod for criticism.
Over his last 22 games, Nurse has been a plus or even player 19 times. It isn't as if he's been sheltered, either, as he's logged north of 22 minutes in 17 of those 22 outings. One of those also includes a game in mid November against the Toronto Maple Leafs in which he played just seven minutes before being forced to leave due to injury.
-Daily Hive
-Daily Hive
Notably, Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch has made some subtle coaching adjustments that have seemed to pay off.
Koblauch has been frequently putting Darnell Nurse on the ice with Leon Draisaitl.
Nurse's redeployment on the ice has directly resulted into more offensive, and the pair seem to have developed some newfound chemistry, especially when looking at breakout and transition play.
Nurse's new role on the ice had directly led to increased offensive contributions, and the new pairing has developed strong chemistry, particularly in breakout and transition plays.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 4 | 442 ANSWERS Darnell Nurse silences his doubters, playing the best hockey of his career Do you think Darnell Nurse could ever win the Norris Trophy? | ||
| Yes | 148 | 33.5 % |
| No | 294 | 66.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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