Sportsnet panellist and former NHLer Kevin Bieksa did not hold back in his assessment of the Edmonton Oilers’ media on Wednesday night.
After the Oilers tied the series against the Dallas Stars with a 5-2 win at home, the ex-Vancouver Canucks defenceman quickly came to the defence of Edmonton blueliner Darnell Nurse, who has come under fire recently for his poor play in Round 3.
“[Nurse] gets the rink and he has to meet with the Edmonton meat — that’s what I call the media,” Bieksa said, referencing Nurse’s curtness with reporters after morning skate on Wednesday.
“They’re raw, dead, and dumb.”
The panel chats about the Oilers win. 🔊 pic.twitter.com/JhtMP6mf9l
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 30, 2024
Fellow panellist Kelly Hrudey was visibly shocked by his colleague’s choice of words and could be seen mouthing a big “wow.”
LOL at Kelly Hrudey’s reaction to Kevin Bieksa calling the Edmonton media “raw, dead, and dumb” 😂@kbieksa3 #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/QQkSmL60n7
— Tyler (@TyGuy9) May 30, 2024
Bieksa later touched on Nurse’s frustrations, which likely carried into the start of the game as he was out on the ice for two goals against, with one bouncing off his body before going in.
With an assist later in the game and 12 hits on the night, the 29-year-old managed to flip the script and logged a solid performance.
“He has to answer questions about his play, his plus-minus from all these guys that are looking at game sheets,” Bieksa noted, once again calling out reporters. “And what does he do? He goes out there, has a really shaky start… ends up having a really amazing game for them.”
Now tied at two games apiece, the Western Conference Final will now head back to Dallas, with Game 5 taking place on Friday night. Puck drop is set for 6:30 pm MT.