Darnell Nurse sends cautious message about Oilers’ playoff run

Although the Edmonton Oilers are moving on to the Western Conference Finals, defenseman Darnell Nurse remains cautious. Despite the quality playoff run, there is plenty more hockey to be played.

That was a point that Nurse hammered home after securing the Game 5 win against the Las Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

“Before we say we’re better (than last year), there’s a lot of hockey to be played,” Nurse said via Mark Spector of SportsNet. “But it’s definitely a different team. A calm team.

“Guys have been through a lot of different experiences, played for a lot of different teams. It breathes into our bench.”

Experience is one of life’s biggest teachers, but it might be one of Edmonton’s biggest teachers. While they are a very talented team, there was an inexperience in playing from behind and reaching the Stanley Cup Final.

However, that all changed in the 2023-24 season, when the Oilers made the Stanley Cup Final. After trailing 3-0, they came back and won three straight. Despite the heroic efforts, it was too little, too late.

It might’ve motivated them and taught them how to come back from behind. Nurse takes that lesson to heart, but wants a cautious optimism heading into the Western Conference Finals.

Darnell Nurse wants the Oilers to be cautious

Even though the Western Conference Finals are in their sights, the Oilers have two tough teams they could square off against. For starters, they could face a fellow Western Canadian rival, the Winnipeg Jets.

The latter was convincingly the best team in the NHL this season. They won a franchise record 56 games and proved to be the cream of the crop in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars have been advantageous by the underdog role. After acquiring Mikko Rantanen towards the trade deadline, they’ve seized the opportunity.

However, both teams are young, and that could be in Edmonton’s favor. As Nurse said, the different experiences and different teams they’ve been on are the ideal concoction of playoff success.

Still, the defenseman wants his team to be cautious for whoever they play. That doesn’t mean to play timid or nervous–rather, playing with a chip on the shoulder but being aware.

At the end of the day, the Oilers can keep proving many people wrong with their sustained playoff success. No matter what, the team has the pieces and experiences to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.

If they manage to do so, then it’ll be worth noting if they put that experience back together.