Connor McDavid expresses how his Edmonton Oilers teammates feel about Darnell Nurse.
Connor McDavid expresses how his Edmonton Oilers teammates feel about Darnell Nurse.
EDMONTON -- Defense wins championships.
That's one of the oldest refrains you hear from many people in the hockey world - and other sports too. Being able to defend and prevent the opposition from having a successful offensive attack is critical to being a top team in any league.
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This isn't lost on Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
After the Oilers 4-0 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins, McDavid was asked about the offensive star of the game - Darnell Nurse. The minute munching defenseman skated for 19:49 on Sunday - notching two goals on seven shots and throwing one hit.
In his post game interview, McDavid sang the praises of his alternate captain. He began by illustrating the defender's impact on the team - even if the offense isn't there, "he could go out and not score a goal all season and be an absolute pillar of this team."
"He's so solid defensively."
McDavid went on to detail how Nurse impacts the Oilers from a defensive perspective, "great on the [penalty] kill, shuts down top lines, hard to play against, that's what he's paid to do."
While certain optics might sour fans to Nurse, it's clear from McDavid's comments that the players are nothing but fans of Nurse.
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