Darnell Nurse gives stern response when asked about Edmonton Oilers' struggles despite veteran presence

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Oct 14, 2024 05:02 GMT

Darnell Nurse answered tough questions during a media conference on Sunday. The Edmonton Oilers lost their third straight game of the 2024-25 NHL season. They fell 4-1 to the Calgary Flames in the Battle of Alberta, and fans and analysts wanted to know why a team with many veterans was struggling.

When asked if the team's poor start was surprising, Nurse insisted they were working hard. He said no player comes to the rink wanting to perform poorly. Instead, he believed the Oilers needed to take their game to the next level.

The conversation shifted to the veterans and their struggles. Darnell Nurse pointed out that if they had an easy solution, they wouldn’t be 0-3.

"I think if we had the answer we'd... we wouldn't be sitting here at 0 and 3. Like I said, up to us as a... as a veteran group, guys have been in different spots in this league to just work our way a little bit.

"I mean every time that we've been in a tough spot here, you know over the last few years we've put our heads down and just worked and took it one day at a time and that's the approach we got to take," Nurse said.

Finally, when asked about moving on from last year’s disappointments, Darnell Nurse admitted it was easier said than done. However, he shared the need to focus on the current season.

Calgary Flames pierced the Oilers' defense in the last period, leaving Darnell Nurse and team looking for answers

Jeff Skinner scored his first goal for the Oilers just 1:14 into the game. Edmonton lost chances when two goals were overturned in the first two periods. Rasmus Andersson scored an unassisted goal for Calgary in the second period. This tied the game at 1-1.

In the third period, Calgary took control of the game. Anthony Mantha and Justin Kirkland scored quickly, making it 3-1 for the Flames. Stuart Skinner, the Oilers' goalie, made 25 saves but couldn't stop the pressure. A late shot by Skinner hit the crossbar. Connor Zary then scored an empty-net goal for Calgary.

Edmonton did well on the penalty kill, stopping all three power plays against them. However, they could not score on their only power play chance. The Oilers have a 0-3 record to start the season and will face the Philadelphia Flyers next. The team hopes to turn things around and get their first win of the year.