After losing forward Warren Foegele due to a game misconduct, the Edmonton Oilers had another player dealing with a different issue on Monday.
Defenceman Darnell Nurse, 29, exited Game 2 in the first period after taking a hit from Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues, which looked to potentially injure his hip.
Nurse returned to the bench later in the first but then exited again before the end of the period. His final shift in the first lasted just 13 seconds.
Nurse did return to the bench in the second period and then took a 28-second shift in the second half of the period.
The defenceman was back on the ice for a 44-second shift early in the third and then a 50-second shift midway through the period.
After a 4-1 loss, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch expressed optimism Nurse will be able to return for Game 3 on Thursday in Edmonton.
"He's getting looked at right now. He was on the bench. I think he will be good to play (in Game 3), but he's getting looked at," Knoblauch said.
The Hamilton native entered Monday's game with three assists over 19 games in these Stanley Cup Playoffs. Across 66 regular-season games, Nurse recorded two goals and 16 assists for a total of 18 points.
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