Were we wrong about Nurse

[Beerfish]

Nurse ALWAYS took way too much flack. Sure he makes frustrating plays no doubt but he has had to carry a heavy load for years and had to deal with tragically awful goaltending. His overall stats have been good and consistently good.

Most often playing too much and against other teams best players and yet a plus player and a high plus player each of the last 4 years.

 

[TheNumber4]

He’s definitely better now than at any point in his career. Bubble year comes close.

 

[nabob]

It helps that the team is actually playing structured defense now.

Nurse isn't getting blamed for not covering his man, the center's man and a winger's man anymore because the center and wingers are actually where they should be.

All of this. He’s not having to choose which of the three wide open opposition players he should try and cover right now.

 

[rboomercat90]

What Nurse isn’t doing this year that he has been for at least the last 2 seasons is drop to one knee beside the net at the first sign of any trouble. Teams had sniffed this out and it was costing the Oilers goals against every game. Why was he doing that? 2 years ago we assumed it was to compensate for injury but time went on and he never stopped doing that. Was he being coached to defend that way? It only happened under 1 coaching staff but it never stopped happening until that coaching staff was removed.

 

[guymez]

It helps that the team is actually playing structured defense now.

Nurse isn't getting blamed for not covering his man, the center's man and a winger's man anymore because the center and wingers are actually where they should be.

It wasnt just that.
His decision making all too often (with and without the puck) was atrocious.

So while I totally agree that the structure obviously helps...Nurse was his own worst enemy far too often.
Under Knoblauch though...so far so good.

 

[5 14 6 1]

It all changed when he whacked himself in the head with a puck

It really did, it unrattled his brain somehow

He's not worth 9 million even now, 9 million is like Cale Makar money, but he is thankfully playing better than what ever that gong show was towards the end of the Woodcroft era.

You'd have to ask me again 20-30 games though. Could be a new coach bump, maybe we should just fire our coach every year, lol.

Makar is probably worth 12.5M to be fair

 

[McDNicks17]

It wasnt just that.
His decision making all too often (with and without the puck) was atrocious.

So while I totally agree that the structure obviously helps...Nurse was his own worst enemy far too often.
Under Knoblauch though...so far so good.

Structure plays into that too. It's a lot easier to make a decision when everyone is on the same page and everyone is where you expect them to be.

Woodcroft's throw the puck up the boards to a covered forward system made a lot of the D look like bums.

 

[Da McBomb]

So we can't blame him for the traffic on Stony Plain road anymore? Our defence takes on a whole new level when Nurse is playing this well. Let's hope he can keep this up.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Games like yesterday he's been fantastic. Since Coffey he's had some outstanding games, but he's also had a couple meh ones too. Winning masks alot.

Calling him a #1 tho, not so fast. He's been waaaaay to inconsistent to give him that, and his playoff performances thus far have bee dogs**t

 

[North Cole]

He's playing well. Some of his stats haven't been great the last few games. But he's made some goal saving plays so it's give and take.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

“We”????

 

[SK13]

When it comes to defenseman, never listen to the collective Oilers fan.

30 years of getting it wrong as a group.

 

[guymez]

Structure plays into that too. It's a lot easier to make a decision when everyone is on the same page and everyone is where you expect them to be.

Woodcroft's throw the puck up the boards to a covered forward system made a lot of the D look like bums.

We agree on that.

I'm just thinking of all the times I saw Nurse wilfully skate away from the front of the net (usually up the side boards) to cover a player that wasnt a threat. Also utilizing poor gap control and screening the goalie.
Thats not about a lack of D structure. Thats just poor decision making on his part.

Thankfully I havent seen as much of that in the last 10 games.

 

[snag]

It all changed when he whacked himself in the head with a puck

 

[Gordy Elbows]

I dunno if they were holding him back or too afraid to 'coach' him. Remember during the Tippett-Playfair days, McDrai and Nurse were free to do whatever they wanted for the most part. Every other player had to work around them it seemed.

Maybe Coffey simply told him he doesn't have to be a hero on every single play and that simplified his game. At least that's what I've noticed.

I agree and would take it further. New coaches have a clear reading on his high event play and have reined a lot of that back.
Nurse approached a lot of games with a pond hockey mindset….little structure , all spontaneous. This not only hurt his game, but also his D partner. A good overall team defence needed to change that.
That change is happening.

 

[Mr Kot]

“We”????

You?

 

[tiger_80]

Not sure what it is but something has certainly clicked in his head. Hopefully it's not temporary.

He's had great stretches before. There were times when he played 25 mins a night and was a massive plus player.

 

[CookiesAndMilk]

“We”????

 

[LTIR]

He's had great stretches before. There were times when he played 25 mins a night and was a massive plus player.

This isn't like the last times... +/- and TOI aren't the only factors.. he is visibly playing like a top pairing Dman in the latest stretch.
This is more cerebral (Pronger like poise) vs a chicken with head cut off in the past.

Hope it's here to stick

 

[9GWG9]

The clowns down south are so fed up they are willing to take Nurse for Huberdeau.

Bhaaaa ha ha ha. I hope he never leaves Calgary.

 

[Little Fury]

Credit where it's due, he's playing really well. Good enough to be the second best D on the team!

 

[CornKicker]

It all changed when he whacked himself in the head with a puck

this is a ridiculous thing to even imply....


*hits everyone else in the head with a puck

 

[Stoneman89]

I don't think any of us were wrong about Nurse. He simply wasn't playing anywhere near to the value of what he was getting paid. The last 3 weeks he's been excellent though.

 

[MoneyGuy]

He’s playing much better but no way Nurse is worth $9.25 million.

 

[McTonyBrar]

I'll be the one to say I never went against Nurse and I always have believed in him. I remember I got attacked on here and Twitter for defending Nurse and always being on his side!!!!