NHL: Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights - Source: Imagn — Edmonton Oilers Insider talked about Darnell Nurse receiving unsportsmanlike conduct (Source: Imagn)

Oilers insider Bob Stauffer bashes ref Kelly Sutherland's "incredibly demonstrative" reaction during Darnell Nurse's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty

Modified Dec 18, 2024 13:46 GMT

Edmonton Oilers insider Bob Stauffer criticized referee Kelly Sutherland's reaction during Darnell Nurse's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Monday night. The incident happened at 15:44 of the first period during the Oilers' 6-5 loss to the Florida Panthers. Nurse was first called for tripping Sam Reinhart in the neutral zone. After protesting the call, he received an extra two-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

On "Oilers Now," Stauffer said Sutherland's reaction to Darnell Nurse's incident was "incredibly demonstrative" and unnecessary.

"It's a loser's lament to whine and b*tch about officiating," Stauffer said. "I did not like the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and the reaction of (referee) Kelly Sutherland on that play. He was incredibly demonstrative, making the (referee's action) for unsportsmanlike (conduct)."

Stauffer added that officials should handle criticism better instead of reacting emotionally:

"I'm not 100% sure what Darnell Nurse said. I'm going to assume he used one of those three words. I still think officials have to have thick skin, too, once in a while. This is the thing about society today - nobody can take any form of critical assessment."

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch also commented on the penalty, focusing on Nurse's actions rather than Sutherland's response. Knoblauch said yelling at referees does not help and often leads to more penalties.

"You're not doing yourself any favors yelling at the referees," Knoblauch said, per SK. "No matter who you are, yelling at the referees. doesn't help you at all."

The Panthers scored on the power play that followed the penalty, taking a 2-1 lead. Florida's Niko Mikkola, Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Jesper Boqvist and Gustav Forsling scored in the game. Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves in the win.

For the Oilers, Zach Hyman scored twice, while Leon Draisaitl, Connor Brown and Mattias Ekholm each added a goal. Stuart Skinner made 22 saves but struggled with defensive breakdowns and penalty issues.

Connor McDavid talked about the loss in which Darnell Nurse received misconduct

Connor McDavid said it was disappointing, as the Oilers had control but needed to find a way to win. He noted Florida’s strong defensive effort after two shutouts.

“It’s disappointing, obviously. It felt like we had it in control. We have to find a way to win that one,” McDavid said, per NHL. “Playing a team that was shut out twice in a row, you knew they were going to be hungry defensively, and obviously they were. We’ve got to be better.”

The Oilers will next play the Boston Bruins on Thursday, hoping to bounce back and win. Darnell Nurse will most likely be part of the Oilers' lineup.