Wayne Gretzky shares advice for Darnell Nurse to get out of his 'panic mode'

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified May 30, 2024 02:03 GMT

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky has shared some advice for Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse to help him handle the pressure and come out of his 'panic mode' in the postseason.

Nurse has been facing challenges as he has been on the ice for more goals at five-on-five compared to other defensemen, which has put him under the spotlight. His underwhelming performance in Game 3, where he was involved in two crucial goals scored by the Dallas Stars, has intensified the criticism surrounding his play during the playoffs.

Wayne Gretzky has advised Nurse to simply his game and focus on what he does best as a defenseman:

"He just has to simplify his game, and sometimes what happens with professional athletes you try to do too much, and Darnell is a solid stay-at-home defenseman. Move the puck, take the body, and stay at home, and if he does that, he's gonna be fine," Gretzky said.

Gretzky reckoned that Darnell Nurse appears to be in a bit of a panic mode currently. He emphasized the importance of the 29-year-old defenseman for playing his game, and if he doesn't step up and perform as expected, it could create some challenges for the team going forward:

"But right now he seems to be a little bit of a panic mode, but they need him to be Darnell Nurse because if he's not going on Nurse, you know they're in trouble a little bit because they got a young kid who's up there with them, so they're gonna need Darnell. Just play your game," Gretzky added.

Nurse has two points from as many assists in 15 games and a plus/minus rating of -12 in 15 playoff games. He signed an eight-year, $74,000,000 contract with the Oilers in 2021 and has a cap hit of $9,250,000.

Connor McDavid defends Darnell Nurse amid struggles

Ahead of the Edmonton Oilers Game 4 clash against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday, Connor McDavid spoke about Darnell Nurse's post-season struggles.

The Oilers captain emphasized how important Nurse is to the team. He said that regardless of his underwhelming stats, Nurse always gives his best effort and has played a significant role in the team over a longer period.

Here is what McDavid said of Darnell Nurse ahead of Game 4 (via Oilersnation):

"He’s a big piece of our room,” McDavid said. “Plus-minus, whatever, I know it’s a funny stat, but he gives us everything he’s got, and he always has for a long time. Like I said, he’s a big part of our room, and I’d expect him to have a big one tonight.”

The Dallas Stars lead the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in their Western Conference final series.