There was a scary moment during Saturday’s game between the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs, which led to some polarizing reactions after the fact. Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves was assessed a match penalty for an illegal check to the head of Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse.
Nurse was down on the ice for a few minutes, before being assisted to the dressing room with Mattias Janmark and a trainer by his side. He was ruled out of the game with an upper-body injury nearly immediately, and after the game, members of the Maple Leafs and Oilers offered their opinions on the play.
“Yeah, that’s the side of the game that you never want to see,” Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann said post-game of Reaves’ hit on Nurse. “Guys are playing hard. I don’t think he was trying to finish high like that. I know he wasn’t. He’s just playing it hard and trying to get through guys, trying to win a hockey game. And sometimes you clip a guy the wrong way.”
“Getting to know Reavo, it’s definitely not his intention to hurt anybody,” Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies said of the incident. “Plays like that happen. You know, it happened with me in Washington. You know, it’s unfortunate, and you hope he’s okay.”
Here is the play in question, and we don’t necessarily advise watching it:
Ryan Reaves receives a 5-minute match penalty for this hit on Darnell Nurse. pic.twitter.com/hVZN9FJpRY
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 17, 2024
As one would expect, the Oilers weren’t nearly as generous in their assessment of Reaves’ hit on Nurse.
“The game is fast and I mean just avoiding the hit, we’re professional athletes,” Oilers forward Adam Henrique said post-game. “We’re able to make those decisions quick in our head, and you know when a guy in vulnerable, or in a bad spot, those sorts of things, around the ice. It’s one you don’t want to see.
“It’s a dangerous play and he’s gotta know that Nursey doesn’t see him coming and choose the right path there,” Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins added. “He doesn’t and it’s tough to see one of your teammates on the ice like that.”
Edmonton resumes its schedule Monday against the Montreal Canadiens, while Toronto doesn’t play until Wednesday, in a home date against the Vegas Golden Knights.
