Dallas Stars fire coach Pete DeBoer after losing in the West final for a 3rd year in a row
Associated Press
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer was fired Friday after three seasons with the team, getting to the Western Conference final each time but never advancing past that for a shot at the Stanley Cup.
The move came a week since the Stars ended their season in a 6-3 loss at home to Edmonton in Game 5 of the West final.
DeBoer made the curious and much-discussed decision to bench Jake Oettinger after his star goalie gave up two goals on two shots in the first 7:09. Two days later, the coach acknowledged he still hadn't talked to Oettinger about that decision.
'After careful consideration, we believe that a new voice is needed in our locker room to push us closer to our goal of winning the Stanley Cup,' longtime general manager Jim Nill said.
The Oilers won four consecutive games in the series after the Stars had a five-goal outburst in the third period of Game 1 to win by that same 6-3 score.
Dallas became the first team to reach the conference finals three seasons in a row without winning at least one Cup title under the playoff format that began in 1994. The Stars didn't even give themselves a chance to play for one.
DeBoer, who turns 57 this month, had a 149-68-29 record in regular-season games and 29-27 in the playoffs with the Stars, whose 113 points during the 2023-24 season were just one off the franchise record set by their only Stanley Cup-winning team in 1998-99. He is 662-447-152 overall in 17 seasons with Dallas, New Jersey, Florida, Vegas and San Jose, plus 97-82 in 10 postseason appearances.
Stars owner Tom Gaglardi said the day after the season finale that DeBoer was a seasoned coach, top three to top five in the league, and that he didn't see firing DeBoer being on anyone's agenda.
Something certainly changed since then with DeBoer, who had one season remaining on his contract.
This was the sixth time in seven seasons, with three different teams, that DeBoer took a team to the brink of the Stanley Cup Final. That included the NHL semifinals during the 2021 season with Vegas when there were no conference-based playoffs because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Stars last went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, the playoff held in the bubble in Canada because of the pandemic. They won the West final that year in five games over DeBoer-coached Vegas. Dallas was led by Rick Bowness, who replaced the fired Jim Montgomery during the season. DeBoer was hired after the Stars moved on from Bowness.
In their 18 playoff games this season, the Stars gave up the first goal 15 times.
Dallas was third in the NHL during the regular season with 3.35 goals per game and shut out only once, in the 79th of 82 games. The Stars averaged 2.5 goals in the playoffs with four shutout losses, including both losses in the second-round series they won in six games over top-seeded Winnipeg.
A scoreless streak of 178:57 on the road, against Winnipeg and Edmonton, was the longest in franchise playoff history. The Stars had two goals over the next three games after opening the series against the Oilers with a win.
Oettinger said last week he was surprised and embarrassed when he got pulled from Game 5 of the Western Conference final after giving up two goals on the only two shots he faced, and DeBoer was still facing questions about that decision two days after the season-ending loss to Edmonton.
'No one's a bigger fan of Jake Oettinger than me, as a person or a goalie,' DeBoer said. 'There's one motive, and that's how do we survive this and get it to a Game 6. And I have to live with those consequences. If it works, great, we're in Edmonton tonight and you guys are telling me how awesome a move it was. And when it doesn't, I've got to stand up here and do this, and I understand.'
Oettinger was pulled only 7:09 into Game 5 at home Thursday night after Mattias Janmark's goal put Edmonton up 2-0. The Oilers scored again less than a minute after Casey DeSmith took over on the way to a 6-3 win that set up a Stanley Cup Final rematch against Florida, though Dallas got within 4-3 a minute into the third period.
'The reality is if I make one or two of those saves, then I'm still playing in the game,' Oettinger said in his first public comments since. 'The way I'm looking at it is, how can I get better from that? How can I can make those saves that I made all playoffs?'
The 26-year-old goalie has been to the playoffs in four consecutive seasons and won six postseason series. That stretch began in 2022, when Dallas took top-seeded Calgary to a Game 7, and Oettinger had 64 saves before Johnny Gaudreau's OT goal ended the first-round series.
Oettinger had a .905 save percentage and 2.82 goals-against average while facing 503 shots in 18 games this postseason, by far the most of any goalie. Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky, in one fewer game, has faced 408 shots and the next-highest total is 292. Oettinger had a .909 save percentage and 2.59 GAA in 58 regular-season games.
When DeBoer was asked Saturday about his conversations with Oettinger since the season ended, the coach said they hadn't had the opportunity yet to have one.
Oettinger was later asked if he had any concerns about their relationship, and he responded by saying the whole experience is something he would learn from and that was going to help him grow to be a better person and goalie.
'My job is to stop the puck. And I feel like I'm one of the best in the world when I'm playing well doing that. So that's all I'm in a focus on,' Oettinger said. 'All the extra stuff is just extra stuff to me. ... If I go out there next year and I'm the best goalie in the world, it doesn't matter. One of you guys could be coaching, it doesn't matter. Just try to be the best I can be, learn from the experience.'
___
AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno in Edmonton, Alberta, contributed to this report.
___
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
recommended
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
6 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Stanley Cup Final for old men: Brad Marchand and Corey Perry shine on hockey's biggest stage
Associated Press EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Brad Marchand and Corey Perry are by far the oldest players in the Stanley Cup Final. Marchand just turned 37 last month, and Perry is 40. Naturally, they combined for a third of the goals in Game 2 on Friday night, showing this is indeed a Cup final for old men, not for the earth but certainly in hockey. Marchand scored his second of the game to win it in double overtime for the Florida Panthers after Perry got the latest tying goal in the history of the final in the waning moments of regulation to give the Edmonton Oilers hope. "You saying he's old, or what?" teammate Seth Jones said of Marchand. 'I'm going to tell him you said that. He's a dog. He's a gamer. He's a competitor. He brings so much energy to our team on and off the ice.' Where does that energy come from to play 22 important minutes? Anton Lundell hopes it comes from him and fellow linemate Eetu Luostarinen, the pups keeping an older dog like Marchand feeling young. 'He likes to spend time and be around us,' said Lundell, who set up each of Marchand's breakaway goals. "He's in great shape, and it seems like nothing is stopping him.' Marchand is not slowing down in his 16th NHL season and 13th playoff run, the first away from the Boston Bruins. He is in the final for a fourth time, this one 14 years removed from his first when he and Boston also faced a Canadian team, the Vancouver Canucks, and won the Cup to keep the country's title drought going. His two-goal game came on the anniversary of scoring short-handed on Roberto Luongo in the 2011 final. Luongo now works for the Panthers in their front office and posted on social media after the game, 'Favorite player of all time.' "Lu is awesome," said Marchand, whose 10 goals in the final are the most among active players, one more than Perry. "Happy to be on his team.' Perry even longer ago helped beat a Canadian team in the final when he and Anaheim defeated Ottawa in 2007. He's playing for the Cup for a sixth time in his career and for the fourth time over the past five years and is still producing at important moments. His tying goal with 17.8 seconds on the clock in the third period was just the latest example. 'Determination, finding a way to find the puck and then obviously putting it in the net. He's got a skill for that,' Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. 'Knowing in the playoffs it's hard to score and you need guys around the net and finding ways, he's as good as anybody finding ways to score.' Plenty of folks might be surprised to see Marchand and Perry doing this at their advanced ages. Paul Maurice, who has coached more games than anyone in NHL history except for Scotty Bowman, is not one of them. Maurice credits rule changes coming out of the 2004-05 lockout and sports science around the league for paving the way for players to contributed later into their 30s and even 40s. 'I think we're coming into an age of that,' Maurice said. "A tremendous amount of care for the players, whether that's the meals that they eat, how we travel — there's a lot of money that goes into allowing these players to play. The old guys and the young guys benefit from the rule change, and they're better fit, conditioned athletes over their entire lives.' Marchand has his own routine, one that goes beyond the Dairy Queen Blizzard jokes that keep swirling around him this playoffs. He rode a stationary bike before overtime, something he likes to do after most periods. 'You're trying to keep your legs going in overtime," Marchand said. 'Keep them feeling good.' The Panthers are feeling good after acquiring Marchand at the deadline from Boston and unleashing him for goals in Game 2 that tied the series. Winger Matthew Tkachuk thinks Marchand scored two of their biggest goals during this run, aging like a fine wine. 'Hopefully he can keep it going,' Tkachuk said. Unreal player, unreal competitor. ... 'He could play till he's 47 the way he's going.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and recommended
Fox Sports
7 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Dallas hosts Minnesota, looks to break home skid
Associated Press Minnesota Lynx (8-0, 7-0 Western Conference) at Dallas Wings (1-8, 0-5 Western Conference) Arlington, Texas; Sunday, 4 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Dallas Wings plays Minnesota Lynx looking to stop its four-game home slide. Dallas finished 7-13 at home and 6-14 in Western Conference play during the 2024-25 season. The Wings averaged 84.2 points per game last season, 14.7 on free throws and 18.9 from deep. Minnesota went 30-10 overall last season while going 14-6 in Western Conference games. The Lynx averaged 23.0 assists per game on 30.1 made field goals last season. INJURIES: Wings: Paige Bueckers: out (concussion). Lynx: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. recommended
Associated Press
12 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Stanley Cup Final for old men: Brad Marchand and Corey Perry shine on hockey's biggest stage
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Brad Marchand and Corey Perry are by far the oldest players in the Stanley Cup Final. Marchand just turned 37 last month, and Perry is 40. Naturally, they combined for a third of the goals in Game 2 on Friday night, showing this is indeed a Cup final for old men, not for the earth but certainly in hockey. Marchand scored his second of the game to win it in double overtime for the Florida Panthers after Perry got the latest tying goal in the history of the final in the waning moments of regulation to give the Edmonton Oilers hope. 'You saying he's old, or what?' teammate Seth Jones said of Marchand. 'I'm going to tell him you said that. He's a dog. He's a gamer. He's a competitor. He brings so much energy to our team on and off the ice.' Where does that energy come from to play 22 important minutes? Anton Lundell hopes it comes from him and fellow linemate Eetu Luostarinen, the pups keeping an older dog like Marchand feeling young. 'He likes to spend time and be around us,' said Lundell, who set up each of Marchand's breakaway goals. 'He's in great shape, and it seems like nothing is stopping him.' Marchand is not slowing down in his 16th NHL season and 13th playoff run, the first away from the Boston Bruins. He is in the final for a fourth time, this one 14 years removed from his first when he and Boston also faced a Canadian team, the Vancouver Canucks, and won the Cup to keep the country's title drought going. His two-goal game came on the anniversary of scoring short-handed on Roberto Luongo in the 2011 final. Luongo now works for the Panthers in their front office and posted on social media after the game, 'Favorite player of all time.' 'Lu is awesome,' said Marchand, whose 10 goals in the final are the most among active players, one more than Perry. 'Happy to be on his team.' Perry even longer ago helped beat a Canadian team in the final when he and Anaheim defeated Ottawa in 2007. He's playing for the Cup for a sixth time in his career and for the fourth time over the past five years and is still producing at important moments. His tying goal with 17.8 seconds on the clock in the third period was just the latest example. 'Determination, finding a way to find the puck and then obviously putting it in the net. He's got a skill for that,' Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. 'Knowing in the playoffs it's hard to score and you need guys around the net and finding ways, he's as good as anybody finding ways to score.' Plenty of folks might be surprised to see Marchand and Perry doing this at their advanced ages. Paul Maurice, who has coached more games than anyone in NHL history except for Scotty Bowman, is not one of them. Maurice credits rule changes coming out of the 2004-05 lockout and sports science around the league for paving the way for players to contributed later into their 30s and even 40s. 'I think we're coming into an age of that,' Maurice said. 'A tremendous amount of care for the players, whether that's the meals that they eat, how we travel — there's a lot of money that goes into allowing these players to play. The old guys and the young guys benefit from the rule change, and they're better fit, conditioned athletes over their entire lives.' Marchand has his own routine, one that goes beyond the Dairy Queen Blizzard jokes that keep swirling around him this playoffs. He rode a stationary bike before overtime, something he likes to do after most periods. 'You're trying to keep your legs going in overtime,' Marchand said. 'Keep them feeling good.' The Panthers are feeling good after acquiring Marchand at the deadline from Boston and unleashing him for goals in Game 2 that tied the series. Winger Matthew Tkachuk thinks Marchand scored two of their biggest goals during this run, aging like a fine wine. 'Hopefully he can keep it going,' Tkachuk said. Unreal player, unreal competitor. ... 'He could play till he's 47 the way he's going.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
