Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl makes 4-word birthday wish for Darnell Nurse as he'll turn 30 soon

On Saturday, Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl shared a birthday message for his teammate Darnell Nurse on Instagram. Draisaitl shared a picture with a photo collage spelling out the number 30 and wishing Nurse a happy birthday.

“30. All time MAN,” Draisaitl wrote in the caption.

(Credit: IG/@drat_29)

Nurse plays as a defenseman for the Oilers. He will celebrate his 30th birthday on Feb. 4.

Draisaitl posted the message a few hours after the Oilers’ controversial 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Rogers Arena. The German center scored what he thought was the game-tying goal with 2:04 remaining in the third period, only to have it ruled out for offside after a coach’s challenge found that Oilers defenseman John Klingberg was offside entering the zone.

Speaking to the media after the game, Draisaitl gave his opinion about the decision.

“I mean at the end of the day, it is offside. That's the rule and obviously we we have to live with that. But, you know, sometimes it's obviously unfortunate that it's centimetres,” Draisaitl said.

Draisaitl did record an assist on the night to take his points tally to three in the previous three games. During his press conference, he said that the Oilers had controlled the puck for most of the game but failed to capitalize on the many chances they got.

"If we make fewer mistakes, then we are probably going to win the game; that’s what it comes down to," Draisaitl said.

Leon Draisaitl praises Darnell Nurse’s form on the ice this season

According to hockey analysts, Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse are considered proponents of the Oilers two-way hockey style.

Draisaitl had praised Nurse’s performances and consistency for the team earlier as well. Nurse had silenced his critics who believed that the Oilers overpaid for him.

In a session with the media on Dec. 12, Draisaitl had called for Nurse to get the credit he deserved.

“You guys should talk about him more,”Draisaitl said via Oilersnation.com. “He’s been really, really, really good, like high-end. You guys are really hard on him, sometimes. He’s been amazing, maybe our best D for a while now. He’s such a horse. You can’t beat him off the rush …It’s fun to watch.”

Draisaitl and Nurse will hope to get back to winning ways in their next game against the St Louis Blues on Tuesday.