"You guys are really hard on him sometimes": Leon Draisaitl defends $74,000,000 Oilers D-man from jaws of Edmonton media

By ARJUN B

Modified Dec 11, 2024 11:16 GMT

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Leon Draisaitl came to the defense of his Edmonton Oilers teammate Darnell Nurse after the 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.

Nurse, who has an eight-year, $74 million contract, has faced criticism from fans and media this season for his high salary and inconsistent performances. However, the 29-year-old played a key role in both of Edmonton's goals against Tampa Bay. When asked about Nurse's game, Draisaitl said:

"You guys should talk about it more. He's been really good, like high end. And you guys are really hard on him sometimes. And so he's been amazing, maybe our best D for a while now. And it's fun to see.”

Draisaitl praised Nurse's physicality and defensive skills:

"He's such a horse, and you can't beat him off the rush. And obviously when he makes plays like that and settles the puck down and makes strong plays. It's fun to watch."

When told of Leon Draisaitl's comments, Nurse said that he appreciates the support.

"I don't really have social media stuff but - sometimes I like to go and read what everyone says in here, and then I get to come see you all the next day so say whatever you want."

Draisaitl and Connor McDavid provided the goals for Edmonton, while netminder Stuart Skinner made 19 saves in the win. Jake Guentzel scored the lone Tampa Bay goal, with Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 24 shots in the loss.

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Leon Draisaitl reflects on Oilers win against Tampa Bay

Draisaitl said that the Lightning are a dangerous team that can create offense out of nothing. However, he added the Oilers did a good job playing conservatively in the third period, not giving Tampa Bay too many opportunities while continuing to push forward themselves.

“I thought we did a pretty job of, you know, playing down the clock in the third and not giving them too much and continuing to just push and play our game so that was good," Leon Draisaitl said.

Regarding goalie Stuart Skinner's performance, Draisaitl said that he has been amazing. He noted that there are always going to be scoring chances against a team as talented as the Lightning, so one needs a goalie who can make big saves when called upon.

"You need a goalie that,you know, can save your save your butt every once in a while and he certainly does that a lot for us," Draisaitl added.

Next, the Oilers face the Minnesota Wild on Thursday at Xcel Energy Center.