Pat Pickens
The New York Islanders shocked the hockey world by hiring Patrick Roy in January 2024. So it is no surprise Roy’s departure from Long Island would be just as stunning.
General manager Mathieu Darche opened up about his decision to fire Roy with four games left and hire Pete DeBoer to try and salvage a season that is quickly slipping away.
“I just felt it was time to move the group forward,” Darche said. “It was time to make a change.”
The Islanders (42-31-5) have lost four straight games in regulation yet still trail the Philadelphia Flyers by just one point for the No. 3 spot in the Metropolitan Division with four games left. New York is also just one point back of the Ottawa Senators for the East’s second wild card.
But hockey analytics site Moneypuck only give the Islanders a 29.6% chance of reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That is due to the fact Ottawa and Philadelphia each has a game in hand.
Roy went 97-78-22 in three years for the Islanders.
Mathieu Darche Felt the Islanders’ Season ‘Sliding’ Away
The Islanders have just seven regulation wins in their past 24 games. They have lost nine points in the standings to the Flyers since the Olympic break.
They have 20 goals against in their four-game losing streak, including eight in a home thrashing against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 30. The Flyers outshot the Islanders 12-2 in the first period in a devastating 4-1 loss at UBS Arena on Friday.
But Darche decided to make a move based on the whole of New York’s recent struggles.
“It’s never just one moment,” Darche said. “I just felt at this moment, and the last little bit here, that we were sliding a bit here, and this is not only about this year.
“Moving forward, I felt [replacing the coach] put us in a better situation and a better opportunity to win those games, to be in the playoffs and going forward.”
Darche admitted Ilya Sorokin‘s recent struggles had a hand in Roy’s firing. Sorokin has a .909 save% and 19.09 goals-saved above average at all situations but has an .852 save% and minus-3.60 GSAA in the past four games.
“I just felt this last little bit here where we weren’t as sharp, we didn’t get away with it as much as we did before,” Darche said. “Let’s face it, we got away with some stuff during the year where our goaltender’s been outstanding.”
Mathieu Darche Hired Peter DeBoer Because he is ‘A Very Structured Coach’
DeBoer has a reputation for struggling to develop young players, and he was let go by the Dallas Stars after publicly criticizing franchise goalie Jake Oettinger after they were eliminated in Game 5 of the Western Conference final to the Edmonton Oilers last May.
But that was DeBoer’s third straight WCF appearance for Dallas, and he has a penchant for fast success in the places he coaches. He took the New Jersey Devils (2011-12) and San Jose Sharks (2015-16) to the Stanley Cup Final in Year 1 in both stops and took the Vegas Golden Knights (2019-20) and Dallas Stars (2022-23) to the Western Conference Final in his first season coaching each.
“Guys like Pete DeBoer don’t stay on the market very long,” Darche said. “He went to five of the last six conference finals. He’s had success everywhere he’s been. He’s a very structured coach.”
The last piece may be most important for the Islanders, since they have been breaking down defensively over their current skid. Sorokin has faced the most high-danger shots (151) since the Olympic break, an average of 8.88 per game.
Darche said he only had DeBoer in mind when the decision came up to replace Roy. He came to that conclusion after watching the Isles get outshot 40-16 in their 4-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
“It’s like grabbing the No. 1 free agent on the market,” Darche said. “Pete’s an outstanding coach. … His success speaks for itself.”
Islanders GM Believes They Still Have Time to Make Playoffs
The schedule is against the Islanders at this point. They have played the most games in the East and will be idle until hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
But the teams around them have helped. Going 3-7 in a 10-game span, and failing to even pick up even a single point in four games, would be a death sentence in past years. But Ottawa (2-3-1), Columbus (1-6-1) and Detroit (4-8-1) are all struggling as well.
Plus, the schedule also is what pushed Darche to act when he did.
“We have three days to practice before the first game [with DeBoer],” Darche said.
Darche spoke with the team, and members of the Isles’ leadership group directly, on Sunday. They felt energized by the move.
“Everybody’s upbeat,” Darche said. “They know the task at hand this year and going forward.”
