The start hasn’t been what anyone in <a href="https://oilersnation.com/stats">Oil Country</a> envisioned. But if there’s frustration brewing inside the Edmonton Oilers’ dressing room, Darnell Nurse isn’t showing it.

The veteran defenceman has seen enough hockey to know that October stumbles don’t define results in January—and with a team that came within just a handful of games of hoisting the Stanley Cup for two seasons in a row, he’s preaching perspective over panic.
<blockquote>
“I think our perspective in here is it’s a sign that we just play a game for a full 60 minutes,” Nurse said. “We’re capable of a lot. So bringing that through, from the start of the game through full 60.”
</blockquote>
It’s a simple message, but one that cuts to the heart of Edmonton’s early-season struggles. The talent is there. The effort is there. What’s been missing are the complete performances—the kind that carried this team through last spring’s playoff run.
Nurse is quick to defend his teammates against any suggestion they’re not doing the work.
<blockquote>
“It’s not for lack of effort,” he emphasized. “The group comes in each and every day. It’s a very focused group, throughout camp, throughout the beginning of the season, practices for games like this. It&#8217;s a group that really cares about winning, obviously, and does a lot of the right things to prepare for games, and whether that’s physical, mentally, so, yeah, I mean, it’s not for lack of effort.”
</blockquote>
So what’s the disconnect? According to the 29-year-old, it’s about chasing outcomes instead of trusting the system.
<blockquote>
“Sometimes, you know, the process of our game can be better early in the year one. That doesn’t always lead to results. I think sometimes you come into the year with high expectations, and you chase those results. Sometimes it takes away from the process you want to play with every night. And I think for us, we just (nned to) focus on the process of the game. We’ve definitely made some steps in the last couple of games, and we got to build off of it.”
</blockquote>
It’s veteran wisdom from a player who’s weathered his share of storms in an Oilers uniform. When expectations are sky-high and the wins aren’t coming, it’s easy to press. To abandon what works in search of quick fixes. Nurse is urging his teammates to resist that temptation.
<a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/gdb-11-0-edmonton-oilers-utah-mammoth-preview">Looking ahead to Wednesday’s matchup with Utah</a>, Nurse identified the kind of defensive structure that will be required against the league’s newest—<a href="https://oilersnation.com/standings">and currently one of the best</a>—franchises.
<blockquote>
“(They&#8217;re) a team that attacks a lot with speed, and they’re counterattacks are very good,” noted Nurse. “If you’re turning the puck over and feeding their transition, it’s tough to play against, and they’re very creative in the offensive zone too. For us, defending well will have to be something that we focus on.”
</blockquote>
The message is clear: take care of the details, mind the defensive zone, and trust that the offence—led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl—will take care of itself. It’s worked before. It’ll work again.
But it all starts with those 60 minutes. All of them. Every night.
<h2><a href="https://oilersnation.com/combinations">Lines and Pairings</a></h2>
RNH &#8211; McDavid &#8211; Mangiapane
Podkolzin &#8211; Draisaitl &#8211; Roslovic
Savoie &#8211; Henrique &#8211; Frederic
Howard &#8211; Tomášek &#8211; Philp
Lazar &#8211; Hyman
Nurse &#8211; Bouchard
Ekholm &#8211; Walman
Kulak &#8211; Emberson
Regula &#8211; Stecher
Skinner
Pickard

The start hasn’t been what anyone in <a href="https://oilersnation.com/stats">Oil Country</a> envisioned. But if there’s frustration brewing inside the Edmonton Oilers’ dressing room, Darnell Nurse isn’t showing it.

The veteran defenceman has seen enough hockey to know that October stumbles don’t define results in January—and with a team that came within just a handful of games of hoisting the Stanley Cup for two seasons in a row, he’s preaching perspective over panic.

<blockquote>
“I think our perspective in here is it’s a sign that we just play a game for a full 60 minutes,” Nurse said. “We’re capable of a lot. So bringing that through, from the start of the game through full 60.”
</blockquote>
It’s a simple message, but one that cuts to the heart of Edmonton’s early-season struggles. The talent is there. The effort is there. What’s been missing are the complete performances—the kind that carried this team through last spring’s playoff run.
Nurse is quick to defend his teammates against any suggestion they’re not doing the work.

<blockquote>
“It’s not for lack of effort,” he emphasized. “The group comes in each and every day. It’s a very focused group, throughout camp, throughout the beginning of the season, practices for games like this. It's a group that really cares about winning, obviously, and does a lot of the right things to prepare for games, and whether that’s physical, mentally, so, yeah, I mean, it’s not for lack of effort.”
</blockquote>
So what’s the disconnect? According to the 29-year-old, it’s about chasing outcomes instead of trusting the system.

<blockquote>
“Sometimes, you know, the process of our game can be better early in the year one. That doesn’t always lead to results. I think sometimes you come into the year with high expectations, and you chase those results. Sometimes it takes away from the process you want to play with every night. And I think for us, we just (nned to) focus on the process of the game. We’ve definitely made some steps in the last couple of games, and we got to build off of it.”
</blockquote>
It’s veteran wisdom from a player who’s weathered his share of storms in an Oilers uniform. When expectations are sky-high and the wins aren’t coming, it’s easy to press. To abandon what works in search of quick fixes. Nurse is urging his teammates to resist that temptation.
<a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/gdb-11-0-edmonton-oilers-utah-mammoth-preview">Looking ahead to Wednesday’s matchup with Utah</a>, Nurse identified the kind of defensive structure that will be required against the league’s newest—<a href="https://oilersnation.com/standings">and currently one of the best</a>—franchises.

<blockquote>
“(They're) a team that attacks a lot with speed, and they’re counterattacks are very good,” noted Nurse. “If you’re turning the puck over and feeding their transition, it’s tough to play against, and they’re very creative in the offensive zone too. For us, defending well will have to be something that we focus on.”
</blockquote>
The message is clear: take care of the details, mind the defensive zone, and trust that the offence—led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl—will take care of itself. It’s worked before. It’ll work again.
But it all starts with those 60 minutes. All of them. Every night.

<h2><a href="https://oilersnation.com/combinations">Lines and Pairings</a></h2>
RNH - McDavid - Mangiapane

Podkolzin - Draisaitl - Roslovic

Savoie - Henrique - Frederic

Howard - Tomášek - Philp

Lazar - Hyman

Nurse - Bouchard

Ekholm - Walman

Kulak - Emberson

Regula - Stecher

Skinner

Pickard

Scenes From Morning Skate: Darnell Nurse preaching process over panic

Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid Colorado Avalanche Rogers Place

GDB 16.0: Oilers face an Avalanche-sized gut check moment (8 PM MT, CBC)

Scenes From Morning Skate: Maybe the Oilers just need to get embarrassed

Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid Leon Draisaitl Jack Roslovic

Recent articles from Caprice St. Pierre

Breaking News