The Edmonton Oilers are looking to tie the Stanley Cup Final 1-1 heading into Game 2, while the Florida Panthers are looking to take a 2-0 series lead. One of the changes the Oilers need to make heading into Game 2 is making sure Darnell Nurse plays inside him as a defender.
We know that Nesi is a good protector. It's not his fault that the previous Oilers management paid him what they paid him. He's not a defender for $9.25 million, but no one can run away from that money. But it also opens him up to criticism, rightly or wrongly.
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However, when Nesi plays badly, it shows. When he's good, he's the strongest defenseman in the league. The problem is that Darnell Nurse tries to do too much, takes himself out of position, and uses the middle of the ice, causing goals to go into the net.
TSN Scouting Director Craig Button appeared on Jay Onrait's SportsCenter and discussed how the pairing of Cody Ceci and Darnell Nurse hurt the Edmonton Oilers and how the Florida Panthers exposed them in Game 1 of the Bowl Final. – Stanley.
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Craig Button: “You always want to find the soft underbelly of an opponent so the Florida Panthers will be trying to exploit you. I think Cody Ceci gets tagged along with Darnell Nurse's foul play. Darnell Nurse can be a pillar defender, he has never come close to his skills and abilities in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
So everyone goes Oh, Nesi Ceci. I mean, looking here in front of the net is where you have to defend, what are you looking at Darnell? (Craig explaining Evan Rodrigues' goal in the 2nd period of Game 1). This has been a problem for Darnell all playoffs, and it didn't matter who he was playing against. Darnell has been a regular and regular there. You know it. You compete. You want to make a difference.
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And I think, sometimes you try to do too much. A little is a lot. If I'm Kris Knoblauch and Paul Coffey more is less for Darnell. You don't have to rush without dots to the board. Be careful. Just take a position and put the pole on the ice. Don't try to move around everywhere. It's like you want to do five things at once.
And all he does is put himself in all sorts of ways, he creates more of his own problems than the problems presented to him. This is where you have to settle down, settle down and say a little calmer in his playing. If he does that, there will be no problem. There will be no talking about it. But when he is busy, he creates problems. His and the team's.”
For the Oilers to win Game 2, Darnell Nurse must play like he did in Games 4, 5, and 6 of the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Stars. He kept the game simple and played inside himself and blocked a ton of shots.
That's the key to the Edmonton Oilers and Darnell Nurse's success in Game 2.
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