As the Golden Knights head into season six with their third different head coach, the two previous will each stand behind an NHL bench vying for the same prize neither they nor Vegas have yet to secure.
Gerard Gallant will attempt to build on a magical playoff run that had the New York Rangers within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final. While Pete DeBoer will take over the team that has ended the Golden Knights’ season two of the last three years in the Dallas Stars.
When Gallant was let go in the middle of Vegas’ third season, players were not shy to talk about how much he will be missed and the shock of seeing him let go. But for DeBoer, being relieved of his duties a few weeks into the offseason, public comment from Golden Knights players on his departure have been sparing.
That was until a now former Golden Knight spoke glowingly about him in a recent podcast episode.
Pete DeBoer, probably the best coach I’ve had to date in terms of getting the best of me. He said “I always notice on the scoresheet when you have a bad first period or a bad couple shifts that you have like five or six hits. We don’t need you running around like an idiot. Your job is to score goals and create offense.” It was so relieving to hear because it was so ingrained in me that if you aren’t scoring you have to make a name for yourself. But it’s like don’t run yourself out of position when it’s your job to create offense. –Max Pacioretty on Raw Knuckles Podcast
Pacioretty said DeBoer’s meticulous system was a big reason why the Golden Knights were constantly in the mix to win the Cup.
He’s a very good coach. Systematically I don’t think there’s anybody in the league like him. You knew exactly where to be in all areas of the ice. Our D-zone structure was flawless. The second he came in there was no confusion, you knew exactly where to be at all times. –Pacioretty on Raw Knuckles Podcast
DeBoer will take that “flawless” structure to Dallas while Bruce Cassidy will attempt to instill his own virtues on the Golden Knights moving forward.
No one is denying that the Golden Knights are in good hands under Cassidy, but the string of positive remarks about the previous two coaches would have anyone wondering if coaching has ever been the issue in Vegas.
Emmanuel
The ONLY issue is that they’re a brand spanking new team but they have been so successful the expectations have been too high. Put yourself in the shoes of a coyotes or blue jackets or senators fan. We have been blessed with a great and at times awe inspiring team.
THE hockey GOD
right on Emmanuel, the PDB haters will chime in loudly. “Most unsophisticated fan base in sports” Ian’s words, not mine. ROFLMAO !!
Jake
When the team is underperforming and choking, you don’t fire the waterboy.
I liked DeBoer but my sense was he lost the team. Add an inept powerplay.
I think a change was needed and Vegas got a good one.
Tim
I love this comment most unsophisticated fan base in sports. Here’s a thought it takes an unsophisticated fan to compare a team to the bottom feeders of any sport. Geez we could be like the Senators or Buffalo aren’t we lucky now there’s a loser. If in any sport your goal isn’t to win but compare yourself to losers to make you feel better is a joke. The name of the game is winning and if you don’t you open yourself up to criticism and if that hurts your feelings so be it. The fact is besides having a great start forming the team we were lucky the Pacific was at the bottom in talent which we took advantage of. Losing to Dallas and Montreal who were not as good showed cracks in our coaching and our better players not producing when the money was down. Patch was a big problem in that department.
Emmanuel
VGK have a great fan base, very supportive and if you drive around town you see t shirts and jerseys and bumper stickers everywhere. As for a sophisticated fan base as a former Senators fan I can tell you even in Hockey worshipping Canada the fan base may be inundated with Hockey news but it’s can’t se forest for the trees syndrome. their perception gets warped. I see no way to measure “fan sophistication”.
As for comparing to the bottom feeders you may have misunderstood me. A team should be either be rebuilding or legit competing for the cup, treading in that 5-11 conference slot is a hamster wheel.
My comments was not meant as we should be satisfied with some success I just meant that it’s the best league in the world, even the best team in the league has at best a 1 in 4 chance, too many factors, injuries, hot goalies, bad refereeing.
Original 6 ✅
i agree on being outed by Dallas and especially the Habs and to me they were out coached both semi finals to teams they should of knocked out ! The Habs should of been crushed. they never got in front of the net . Most of the shots he seen cleanly and made it look easy ! The other was we were sending 3 in the corner on a dump . Why the only place you could go with it was point and he shoot with nobody in front. Lastly NO power play !
Emmanuel
4 teams had a chance to crush Mont-Real, only one did it. sometimes average teams get hot at the right time. the talent level for each team is pretty close.
Scott Yardley
It’s never been the coaching or the players being the issue. It’s the Junior Varsity owner and his sophomoric sidekicks that have continued to get in the way with their wet dream decisions about player personnel!
THE hockey GOD
@scott I partially agree, mainly on the grape stomper and his boom or bust order to win in six years or ELSE!
That does nothing for the franchise, it’s fans, or the city. Bettman should revoke his ownership and give it somebody who has a clue.
Last time I checked coaches don’t lace up their skates in games, it mainly falls on players and execution. And some VGK players in past were choking the chicken, mostly on the farce of franchise. More than once.
Daryl
Maybe, but as the comments from a former player, players were expected to be in specificocations doing specific things and nothing more. They team had no imagination and if things didn’t go exactly as planned, they were screwed. The team may have been too structured
Vic
Funny how the photo shows Reilly and Howden choking while coach is smiling. Just one those strange shots. BTW, Max should like his new coach.
Original 6✅
NHL just invoked a new rule on the pavs hit in playoffs. and it would of gave him a 2 min cross checking penalty! That to me costed us semi finals vs Blues and Gallant would still be coaching Just my thought ! DeBoer comes in when knights were playing week teams also ! Are Division he weak to begin with
Original 6✅
DeBoer failed twice in Semi Finals and definitely should of knocked of the Habs. If you can’t fix it twice in a row and especially vs Habs. then yes you failed what you were hired to do ! If the players aren’t getting it done you either let them know it and then sit them that usually works. He had the players ! The capt was brutal and did nothing in the series & looked lost didn’t fire up the players either He’s no Capt
Emmanuel
As a former send fan I always thought Stone was overrated, but it’s a sacred cow he’s a premier two way player. he’s very good but not top 32 in the league.
Emmanuel
Sens not send, damn auto fill!
Tim
THG I know your intelligent but there’s times you worry me example everything is the grape stompers fault. OK let’s look at this rationally George and Kelly want to make a move they convince Foley it will bring us closer to the cup so he gives his ok on the trade. Your telling me your GM and president of operations don’t bend Foley’s ear and them supposedly being hockey people where clearly Foley isn’t it’s all his fault on these bad trades. I’m sorry I thought you were more objective then your I’m sorry stupid comments about the grape stomper.
Emmanuel
I have no issue with foley. He cuts checks when needed without hesitation, that’s all an owner can do and there are skinflints in the league believe me.
THE hockey GOD
@ Tim
what part of “win the cup in six years because I am old” is NOT CLEAR TO YOU?
hello, wake up, MORE COFFEE !
It’s a boom or bust mandate coming down from the BOSS and MAIN OWNER. And looking more bust every day, plus his “MAF will retire a VGK” shows more of his lack of sports acumen. Maybe should change it to most unsophisticated OWNER in NHL> ?
Most unsophisticated fan base in history of sport. I can’t make this stuff up.
VGK fan
Tim,
I’m not sure why you even bother communicating with him. He is a closed minded individual everyone who doesn’t agree with him is uneducated or clueless.
Original 6 ✅
i gave no issues with foley he brought the first NHL team to vegas. this is a Mc Cringe spoiling the Broth ! the team lost so many team players that it don’t play like a team then toss in how they trade players. makes look cold ! last year Foley dumped Ax ‘s which didn’t list seats for sale unless u literally tap each section ! that was BS to even sell tiks. the crooks art stub hub take a chunk and until recently as of a month ago he cut a deal with them again. i’m hoping this year the team comes out strong and Thompson steal #1 spot from Turtle
THE hockey GOD
O6
Co GMGM and GM are only little goose stepping nazi’s following orders from owner. WIN NOW , WIN NOW, before I DIE If they were working for another franchise they would be making a lot different moves. You can TAKE THAT TO THE BANK !
Look at McPhee’s moves with CAPS, not close to this grape stomper madness.
I bet the grape stomper plays POLKA music when he takes off his shoes and gets into that big vat of freshly picked grapes from NAPA Valley. An’a one, an ‘ a two. Roll out the barrel !!
STOMP STOMP
roll out the barrel !
STOMP STOMP
I WANT TO WIN NOW !!
more grapes !
I envision the Grape STomper yelling after the season ended, like Duke and Duke, Mortimer and Randolf, TURN THOSE LIGHTS BACK ON, GET BACK OUT THERE ! (Duke and Duke, from Trading places movie).
This is no way to build a long term franchise, even if they get lucky and win once. There is no base here, NONE.
That is on DUke and DUke, I mean Grape Stomper.
THE hockey GOD
no he changed the tune to
JG Wentworth
“It’s My Money And I Want It Now”
Danny Gallivan
good riddance Max…… “our d zone structure was flawless”? what a friggin joke.
hey pal, I hate to break the news to you but the Vgk gave up the MOST odd man rushes than ANY TEAM in the league, except Columbus. they were terrible on pinches and net front coverage too. McGill and Spott and DeBoer DESERVEDLY got the axe for their incompetence.
not to even mention the pathetic PP, or the soft, weak perimeter offensive scheme
THE hockey GOD
” the Vgk gave up the MOST odd man rushes than ANY TEAM in the league, except Columbus.” was that before or AFTER everyone got Covid and injured when they were in first place ???
you can’t have it both ways.
Mike StG
Last line of piece: “the string of positive remarks about the previous two coaches would have anyone wondering if coaching has ever been the issue in Vegas.”
Given VGK made it deep into playoffs 3 or 4 years, was refereed out in the 4th, and last season was an outlier with a massive amount of injuries to their top players, it seems to me the only logical conclusion is that if coaching wasn’t the issue than it MUST be the players.
The obvious unwritten suggestion in the article is that the issue was the FO. But that isn’t what their history supports. If the FO put together team rosters that made it into a Cup final and 2 WC finals, then didn’t they do their job in icing a team of players who were good enough to accomplish that? And how does the FO end up the ‘bad guys’ because the team couldn’t win it all? Seems to me the ‘issue’ is exactly that they couldn’t win it all – but to me that is 100% a function of the players skill and effort on the ice in the systems set in place by the coach, and the coach’s decisions in how those players are employed thru systems, lines and rotations.
Maybe the ‘issue’ is taking the position that if the team doesn’t win the cup they have failed. In a 32-team league with a salary cap, that expectation seems ridiculous to me. That expectation also results in hyper criticism of the team since they have “failed” in attaining a goal that only 1 of 32 teams can win (statistically a 3% chance). In my view, a more reasonable expectation would to have a competitive team (except in the inevitable rebuild cycle), and that in the BEST of times would have a realistic chance of post season success.
Maybe a reset of expectations would result in more positive comments and an optimistic outlook by the SinBin-following fan base (of which I consider myself a part).
THE hockey GOD
mike
ty for using my fav word
“outlier” a word that is NOT part of vernacular of unsophisticated fan base (that is a compliment to you, btw)
TS
Mike, great opinions. Many fans expect a deep cup run EVERY season, and are hyper-critical if we don’t get there. That improbable 1st year spoiled us. No doubt. Fans had the highest expectations after. I enjoyed watching the playoffs, even without the Vgk. I didn’t miss the nail- biting, OMG moments that always make me cringe!
Ya can’t win ’em ALL!
Obvious
Do you hear that?? Listen carefully…. It’s Gallant laughing his ass off at fat bastard and McPhukup at how fast they have dragged this team down the toilet.
In only a few short years they managed to piss away every single advantage they came into this league with. POOF …. All gone… into thin air