Oilers' Darnell Nurse suspended for head-butting Kings' Phillip Danault originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Edmonton Oilers will be without one of their top players for a must-win Game 6 in Los Angeles.
Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has been suspended one game for head-butting Los Angeles Kings forward Phillip Danault, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced on Wednesday.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
In the second period of Los Angeles' Game 5 OT victory on Tuesday night, Nurse delivered a head-butt to the face of Danault following a save from Oilers goalie Mike Smith.
The two were involved in a scrum following the head-butt, but no penalties were called. Danault didn't sustain an injury from the blow to the head.
In a video explaining their decision, the Department of Player Safety described the incident as "not an accidental collision" and an "unacceptable head-butt."
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
Nurse has posted one goal, one assist and a plus-five rating through five playoff games. He led all Oilers skaters in average time on ice during the regular season (25:03) and has continued to do so in the postseason (21:45).
Oilers-Kings Game 6 is set for Thursday at 7 p.m. PT from Crypto.com Arena in L.A. The Kings lead the first-round series 3-2.
