Darnell Nurse’s Fight Against Hunter Smith
Darnell Nurse’s ferocity, the talk of Edmonton Oilers land
All that said, fighting remains part of the NHL game. In a competitive environment where the law of the jungle is still, essentially, the law of the league, I also saw several positives in that fight.
1. The Oilers have been plagued for years with a lack of ferocity. All these NHL players are tough, but a handful of them, players like Ryan Kesler and Milan Lucic, are also ferocious. They intimidate because they play at a high level, but also hit and punish at a high level. The Oilers haven’t had this rare breed of player since Chris Pronger left town. Nurse might just be that player in time. It will take him a few years to grow into the role, but he’s played the game with that kind of menace at the major junior level.
2. Nurse is in a tough fight to make the Oilers. It’s good to see he’s willing to do all he can to get noticed and try to make the team. It speaks to his competitive fire.
