Darnell Nurse Fights Michael McCarron, Oilers Defenceman Takes Heat for Illegal Punch

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Liam McCormick
October 17, 2024 (7:17 PM)

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In tonight's game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Nashville Predators, Darnell Nurse and Michael McCarron dropped the gloves for a spirited fight.

Nurse and McCarron are heavyweights, but it wasn't the greatest of fight until the end. The pair exchanged mostly jab punches until they began spiralling down to the ice. As they fell, Nurse was still wailing down with illegal punches to the back of the head. McCarron got up and threw a few punches of his own before screaming overtop of Nurse.

Click here to watch the video of the fight between Darnell Nurse and Michal McCarron.

Those punches to the back of the head are an extreme violation of fighting code not only in hockey, but pretty much everywhere else. McCarron was wearing a helmet, but to be honest, he does have a valid complaint about the punch. Even if it is an illegal punch, it'd be extremely surprising if Nurse hears anything from the Department of Player Safety about this.

The Oilers defenceman may have be trying to tap back into the physical side of his game, which seems to escape him when he struggles. The fight did spark the Oilers offence, specifically from their defence, as Brett Kulak tied up the game with a smart follow-up shot to the net.

If the Edmonton Oilers can get the «Angry» Darnell Nurse back this season, it would go a long way to earning back some faith from the fanbase. Seeing Nurse get involved physically is a great sign, hopefully of more noticeable improvements coming to his game.

The Oilers are looking for their second win in their first road game tonight, against a Predators team desperate for their first win. If Edmonton can pull off a victory tonight with Calvin Pickard in net, it'll be a full team effort.