The Edmonton Oilers sit at a 9-7-2 record after going 2-0-1 in three games last week. While the overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs may still sting, an encouraging sign is that the team is trending in the right direction, with a 5-2-1 record over their last eight games.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the Oilers’ Three Stars of the Week while also highlighting a couple of headlines that made waves on social media last week— no, not Mike Tyson’s ‘cheeky‘ interview, but Darnell Nurse being forced to leave the game against the Maple Leafs after a devastating hit from Ryan Reaves, and Connor McDavid achieving his monumental 1,000th career point.

Oilers’ 3rd Star: Darnell Nurse

Last Week’s Stats – 3 GP – 2 G – 1 A – 3 Pts
Season Stats – 18 GP – 2 G – 7 A – 9 Pts
Oilers’ defenceman Darnell Nurse earns a spot as the team’s 3rd Star of the Week after tallying three points in three games. However, the bigger concern right now is his health, following a devastating high hit from Toronto enforcer Ryan Reaves last Saturday night.
Nurse retrieved the puck behind his net when Reaves delivered a dangerous hit to the head, and the Maple Leafs forward was given a match penalty and was later handed a five-game suspension. The hit left the Oilers’ D-man bloodied and forced him to leave the game, and reports indicate Reaves later visited the Oilers’ locker room to apologize to the blueliner in person. As of now, it’s unclear if Nurse will miss significant time.
No matter how you’ve felt about this player over the years, it’s tough to see someone go through what Nurse did—something no one should have to experience—and it comes at a time when the blueliner has been playing his best hockey of the season.
That said, emphasizing his solid play before the injury, despite not registering any points against the New York Islanders on Nov. 12, he still led all Oilers with 21:34 of ice time and had a 4-1 edge in high-danger chances at 5v5 in the 4-3 OT win. Just two nights later, he delivered his best performance in recent memory against the Nashville Predators, scoring two goals and an assist, and one of those helpers came on McDavid’s iconic 1,000th career point.
Nurse’s first goal of the night was a pinpoint snipe over Scott Wedgewood’s shoulder. His second goal completed the storybook ending in OT, as McDavid spun a brilliant behind-the-back pass to set Nurse up for a one-timer that dramatically sealed the game on the night when the captain reached point #1000.
The 29-year-old played just 7:45 minutes against the Maple Leafs before leaving the game due to injury, but last week, in addition to putting up points, he delivered seven hits in three games, blocked three shots, and averaged a 66.56% expected goals-for percentage. Hopefully, Nurse isn’t out for an extended period—he’s been playing his best hockey in recent memory, especially when paired with Brett Kulak.

Oilers’ 2nd Star: Leon Draisaitl

Last Week’s Stats – 3 GP – 3 G – 3 A – 6 Pts
Season Stats – 18 GP – 13 G – 11 A – 24 Pts
Centerman Leon Draisaitl earns the Oilers’ 2nd Star of the Week, scoring three goals and adding three assists in three games. He delivered when it mattered throughout the week, coming through in the clutch, which also saw him climb into a tie for the NHL’s goal-scoring lead with 13 goals.
The former Hart Trophy winner was very clutch on three occasions last week. Against the Islanders, McDavid and Draisaitl hit the ice at the 3:14 mark of OT with fresh legs, and like a shark sensing blood in the water, they made quick work of the tired Islanders. McDavid dished it over to his ‘Ride or Die’ partner, and Draisaitl fired a shot past Ilya Sorokin, who had been stellar all game, to secure the OT win.
Additionally, against the Predators, Draisaitl played setup man on the 2-on-1 chance for McDavid’s 1,000th career NHL point. Even though everyone and their grandma knew the pass was coming, Draisaitl still managed to make a silky feed that allowed the captain to finish with ease and also earned an assist on Nurse’s OT winner in the same game. To top off his big week, the centerman helped his team secure a point against the Maple Leafs, scoring with just under three minutes left in the game to send it to OT.
Moreover, with Draisaitl picking up a couple of points against the Maple Leafs, he extended his point streak to four straight road games for the fifth time in his career, tying McDavid for the second-most by an Oiler, behind Wayne Gretzky, who accomplished the feat an incredible 20 times.

Oilers’ 1st Star: Connor McDavid

Last Week’s Stats – 3 GP – 3 G – 5 A – 8 Pts
Season Stats – 15 GP – 7 G – 14 A – 21 Pts
In a week when over 120 million people tuned in to the snooze-fest boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson—a legend 25 years past his prime—Oilers fans know the real must-see TV is their captain, Connor McDavid, still dominating in his prime.
And, of course, McDavid earns the Oilers’ 1st star of the week, tallying eight points in three games and reaching another iconic milestone—becoming the fourth-fastest player to reach 1,000 career points at just 27 years old.
Before the Nov. 12 game against the Islanders, I joined Aaron Bordato on the “Pre-Gaming with Bordzy” show. And at that point, McDavid was sitting at 995 points, and we talked about whether the superstar centerman could pull off a five-point night and hit the 1,000-point milestone. I made a bold prediction that he’d pull it off—and did he ever come close.
McDavid was hungry for it, turning in one of his best performances of the season against New York. He scored a gorgeous backhand goal, piled up three assists (one of which was a perfect setup for Draisaitl’s OT winner), led the team with eight shots, and dominated the high-danger chances with a 13-1 ratio. If not for Sorokin’s heroic play, McDavid could’ve had point #1000 in style with a five-point night.
Still, his four-point performance against the Islanders set the tone for a memorable night against the Predators just two days later, with his father, Brian McDavid, in attendance. The magical moment nearly arrived within the first minute of the game when the centerman found himself all alone in front of the Preds’ net but couldn’t quite finish.
Yet, the hockey Gods have a way of scripting perfect moments, and McDavid’s entry into the 1000-point club couldn’t have been written any better. In the second period, Nurse, who’s known McDavid since they were teenagers, passed the puck to Draisaitl, who set up McDavid for a one-timer that had the entire building erupting in celebration, with teammates quickly mobbing him. That said, it couldn’t have been written more perfectly—McDavid’s historic point was assisted by the two players, Nurse and Draisaitl, who’ve been by his side since day one of his Oilers’ career.
At times, it’s important to step back and appreciate extraordinary talent and not take special moments for granted. No matter which team you cheer for, McDavid’s 1000th-point moment was filled with emotion and was truly one-of-a-kind. I wasn’t old enough to witness Gretzky’s greatness in the ‘80s, but I’d imagine watching McDavid become the fourth-fastest player to reach 1,000 points in this era is as close as it gets.
In addition, last season, McDavid got off to a slow start, but by the end of November, he cranked things up, jumping from 108th to 13th in NHL scoring in just one week. With the way he’s currently playing and looking like ‘vintage Connor McDavid,’ it’s only a matter of time before he starts to climb up the scoring ranks again.
That said, what’s on your mind this week, Oilersnation? Still buzzing from McDavid’s 1000th point? How are you feeling about the Reaves on Nurse hit? Let’s hear it!

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