DALLAS– When Pete DeBoer makes the Stanley Cup playoffs, he makes noise.
DeBoer has appeared in the playoffs nine times in his 16 seasons as an NHL coach. Seven times, including five in a row, he has advanced to at least the third round.
He did it again on Friday when the Dallas Stars defeated the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in double overtime in Game 6 of the Western Conference Second Round. They will play either the Edmonton Oilers or the Vancouver Canucks in the conference finals.
“Of course I’m proud of that,” he said at the airport Saturday after the Stars returned from Denver. “…Being among the final four so many times is truly a privilege. I just have to try to finish in first place one of these times.”
DeBoer has won 86 playoff games, tied with Ken Hitchcock and Peter Laviolette for 11th in NHL history, one behind Jon Cooper at 10th.
He has won 17 best-of-7 series, tied with Mike Keenan for seventh in League history, one behind Cooper, Toe Blake and Darryl Sutter, who are tied for fourth behind Scotty Bowman (47), Joel Quenneville (23) and Al. Cenador (21).
He has been to the Stanley Cup Final twice, with the New Jersey Devils in 2012 and the San Jose Sharks in 2016. He took the Sharks to the third round in 2019, the Vegas Golden Knights there in 2020 and 2021, and the Stars there. the last two seasons.
Coaching in the playoffs is different than it is in the regular season.
“I love the fact that you’re playing against an opponent and you can score,” he said. “And for me, it’s sifting through everything and finding the two or three things that are really important in your mind in the series to win and making sure your team understands that and executes that.”
You also have to adapt as the series progresses.
“He’s a great coach, along with the rest of the coaching staff and everyone involved,” Dallas captain Jamie Benn said. “They presented us with a great game plan and we just tried to go out and execute it.”
But what matters most to DeBoer isn’t the numbers or the X’s and O’s.
“What I care about is, honestly, the journey when you get deep into the playoffs,” he said. “Obviously I haven’t won it all, but whether (going deeper means) a conference final or a final, you join a group, a team and a group of men together along that journey, because it’s very difficult and it takes a lot of time. a lot of sacrifice, both personally and on the ice. That is the juice we train for and there is nothing better.”
DeBoer has developed lasting bonds with his players throughout his career. You were able to see and hear it after the last two series.
After the Stars defeated the Golden Knights in Game 7 of the first round, cameras and microphones captured conversations along the lines of the handshake. Some former DeBoer players wished him luck. Others went further.
At one point, DeBoer greeted defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Alec Martinez, who played for him in Las Vegas, and then forward Tomas Hertl, who played for him in San Jose.
Pietrangelo told him: “My wife said if we’re not going to win, she wants you guys to win, so good luck.” DeBoer told Martinez and Hertl that he missed them. Martínez told him: “I miss you too. Go find one, huh? Hertl told him: “Good luck. Win it all, huh? Cheering on you guys.”
Keynote USA
For the Latest Sports News, Follow @Keynote USA Sports on Twitter.