Oilers D-man calls out Radko Gudas for turning down fights and failing to take responsibility for "cheap play"

Tensions boiled over between the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks Monday night, as Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak called out Ducks captain Radko Gudas for a controversial hit and refusing to answer the bell.

The incident occurred in the second period, when Gudas delivered a high hit to Corey Perry's head when the veteran winger had gone to play a puck behind the Anaheim net. Although Perry was down on the ice before heading to the locker room, no penalty was called on Gudas for the hit.

That led Edmonton players to seek retribution, chasing Gudas around the ice for much of the night trying to goad him into a fight. Mainly, Darnell Nurse and Alex Jones followed Gudas for a potential fight but were unable to get the Ducks captain to drop the gloves.

"I think (Gudas) just answers the bell. He knows what he did, and I know he got challenged out there by multiple guys," said Kulak. "That's probably the proper way it should have been done, but that's not the way it happened. So, yeah, it led to a chippy game." (per Sportsnet)

"Guys don't just go after someone if they're not willing to drop the gloves. If they don't want to (fight) they won't just go and grab them and start throwing ‘em. … But it would be nice if, when you throw a cheap play and you take someone out, you’re responsible for what you did."

Adam Henrique and Jeff Skinner scored for the Oilers, while Oliver Rodrigue made 18 saves in the loss. Cutter Gauthier scored two goals, and Mason McTavish also found the back of the net for the Ducks. Lukas Dostal had 47 saves to secure the win for the Ducks.

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Oilers' Darnell Nurse weighs in on Radko Gudas' refusal to fight

Defenseman Darnell Nurse offered his take on Radko Gudas' unwillingness to answer the bell after his questionable hit on Corey Perry.

"I thought guys dug in and tried to get physical," Nurse said. "That’s this game. Sometimes things happen out there. People can choose to answer or not, and I thought our response was pretty good."

Nurse acknowledged the Oilers' struggles in the absence of Connor McDavid (lower body) and Leon Draisaitl (undisclosed), following a 2-2 road trip. Although the Oilers generated plenty of chances, Nurse admitted that the team struggled to capitalize on them.

Despite the tough loss, the team still holds third place in the Pacific Division, with a 44-28-5 record.