The Edmonton Oilers will have to win the most important game of their season without its number one defenseman in the lineup on Thursday night. Darnell Nurse was suspended one game for his headbutt on Los Angeles Kings center Phillip Danault in Tuesday night’s Game 5 overtime loss. On Wednesday afternoon, NHL Player Safety tweeted the bad news for Edmonton fans, the team, and Nurse alike.

Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse has been suspended for one game for Head-butting Los Angeles’ Phillip Danault. https://t.co/w6UdQQKznD

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 11, 2022

Officials did not call a penalty on the play in the second period, so Nurse skated the entire contest and logged a game-high 26 minutes of ice time. It was actually Danault who scored the Kings’ lone third-period goal midway to put LA temporarily ahead by two.

While Nurse did not factor in any goals, he had an ice-level vantage point for Edmonton’s comeback attempt. The Oil trailed 3-1 to open the third and 4-2 after Danault’s third marker of the playoffs. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl put the team on their backs to force overtime. Draisaitl had two goals, including the equalizer with less than five minutes remaining to go along with an assist, while McDavid had a goal and assist in the period.

Edmonton’s high was short-lived as Adrian Kempe scored just 1:12 into the extra frame to send the Oilers to LA facing elimination.

Despite missing Nurse, FanDuel Sportsbook has the Oil as -142 moneyline road favorites to force a Game 7 back in Edmonton.