The New York Islanders have made a gutsy decision. On Sunday, management fired head coach Patrick Roy as the team sits one point out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with four games remaining. In comes Peter DeBoer, former head coach of many teams, most recently the Dallas Stars. The head-coaching change is for the future as the Islanders look to turn a corner after a disappointing spell. After four straight losses, the Islanders have an uphill fight to get back in.
As Roy departs the organization, the Islanders will look for a boost from their new coach. DeBoer is an interesting choice because he has a shorter shelf life than many other coaches. He can get players to be greater than the sum of their parts, but he burns out quickly. He is not going to be the mastermind behind the Islanders’ bench for the next decade. He is a coach hired to be fired.
DeBoer’s Resume
In his last four jobs, DeBoer reached at least the third round of the playoffs in his first year with his new team. If he does that this year, it’ll be a miracle, but DeBoer is an excellent short-term coach. On top of being a good motivator, he’s intelligent in his tactical setup. He’s good with his on-ice game management, and that’s a rare trait.
In Dallas, he turned a team that was underperforming, considering their talent, into a constant threat in the Western Conference. He never quite got them into the Finals, falling short to the Edmonton Oilers last season. DeBoer is also unbeaten in Game 7s, which shows his ability to perform in high-pressure winner-takes-all games.
DeBoer’s Success with Dallas Stars
Over his three seasons behind the Dallas bench, the Stars dominated 5-on-5. They recorded an expected goals for per 60 (xGF/60), according to Natural Stat Trick, of 2.70. That ranks fourth in that span. They were also the best 5-on-5 scoring team in the NHL, with a goals-for per 60 (GF/60) of 2.75. If the Islanders can start scoring at that rate, they will be a much more difficult team to beat.
Defensively, the Stars had a goals against per 60 (GA/60) of 2.31, ranking in the top ten. His expected goals against per 60 (xGA/60) ranks sixth among teams at 2.45. He’s great at setting up his teams to play better defence. That is something the Islanders desperately need right now. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin has been covering his team’s defensive warts this season, and when he has an off-night, the Islanders lose.
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The team’s most recent loss, a 4-3 defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, Carolina kicked them around for 60 minutes, and the final score was closer than it should have been. At one point in the third period, the shots were 36-6 in favour of the Hurricanes. DeBoer is going to change that by installing a sturdier defensive structure.
DeBoer’s Potential Issues
Elliotte Friedman noted on the 32 Thoughts Podcast on Monday that DeBoer’s stress in big situations seemed to seep into the team. His relationship with the Stars ultimately ended in an ugly divorce as a result of how he handled his goaltenders in the Western Conference Final. His comments, calling out his goaltender, rubbed a few people the wrong way. If he can have these conversations in private rather than airing the team’s dirty laundry to the press, he would be an even better head coach.
DeBoer has only lasted three seasons in each of his last two jobs. Even less because he was fired midseason by the San Jose Sharks before being hired by the Golden Knights in the same season. He doesn’t stick around for very long because his style can wear on the players.
Is he going to fix the Islanders’ season? Can he ensure that the team’s atmosphere holds firm and they break into the playoffs? The answer is that he can. There is no denying that DeBoer is a good coach, and his resume speaks for itself. Will he be the answer to the Islanders’ recent poor run? We’ll see. He’s got a chance to make an impact on the team now, and if he can get them playing into his system, he could alter the course of the organization for the better in the short term.
