With the Stanley Cup playoffs just days away, some of the first-round series are already set. In the Western Conference, the LA Kings and Edmonton Oilers are set to face off in Game 1 on April 19. But in their final meeting before the playoffs, Oiler defenseman Darnell Nurse delivered a nasty cheap shot to the Kings’ Quinton Byfield — and now, everyone is saying the same thing.
The Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers finished second and third in the Pacific Division, which means they’ll face each other in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Both teams are coming off strong regular seasons heading into the postseason, with the Oilers expected to make a deep run after pushing last year’s champions, the Florida Panthers, to seven games.
Nasty cheap shot
Last night, the Kings and Oilers faced off for the final time in the regular season, with the Kings dominating in a 5–0 win. However, the result wasn’t the main topic of discussion afterward. Instead, most of the conversation has centered around Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, who took a blatant cheap shot at Kings center Quinton Byfield.
Late in the second period, the 22-year-old Byfield fell in front of the Oilers’ net with Nurse on top of him. Instead of getting up and letting Byfield go, Nurse cross-checked him in the head. The hit resulted in a major penalty and a game misconduct. Byfield left the ice and did not return. According to reports from the LA Kings, there is currently no update on Byfield’s status. Now, Nurse is facing widespread criticism for what many are calling a gutless act.
“Guy just tried to end a career a week before playoffs,” one person wrote on X.
“Definitely has no place in the game. Hope Quinton Byfield is OK,” another added.
See the cross check by Darnell Nurse in the video below.
