Nurse scores two goals in Oilers' loss

Darnell Nurse scored two goals on four shots on net, adding two blocked shots and a plus-1 rating in Wednesday's 7-4 loss to the Capitals. Nurse, an all-around blueliner, is currently on an eight-year, $74 million contract that runs through 2029-30. He is typically used on the second power-play unit and is expected to finish in the 30-40 point range. He recorded a career-best 43 points (12 goals) in 2022-23, along with 203 shots, 165 blocked shots, 146 hits, 64 PIM, and a plus-26 rating over 82 games. He has posted 30-plus points for four straight years, including 35 points in a season where he played through a torn hip flexor during the Oilers' Western Conference Finals run, missed games with a finger injury and a lower-body issue, and was suspended one playoff game for a headbutting incident. Nurse, who plays over 25 minutes per game, is known for his physical play, consistently recording over 300 combined hits and blocks annually. The 26-year-old, drafted seventh overall in 2013, has shown 50-point potential and comes from impressive bloodlines, with his uncle being NFL QB Donovan McNabb.