Tonight is a massive night for Dallas Stars Head Coach Pete DeBoer. Not only is his game 7 winning streak on the line, but his job might be as well. No offense to DeBoer, who's done a remarkable job coaching this team through numerous key injuries. It could cost you your job if you don't perform well in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, especially against a rival. I'm not saying DeBoer would be fired five minutes after being eliminated, but the countdown clock could start ticking for him.
I remember way back when Pete DeBoer was hired as the Head Coach of the Dallas Stars. It was right after Rick Bowness decided to step down as the head coach. I didn't even have Pete DeBoer as one of the coaches the Stars should hire in my article. It was a surprise when Jim Nill introduced him at the press conference. I'm not a fan of a general manager hiring a coach who's had multiple stops throughout his career. However, that changed after two seasons with Pete DeBoer at the helm.
DeBoer has had the Stars on the cusp of advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals. However, they seemed tired when the Stars got to the Western Conference Finals. I think DeBoer has brought the Stars back into the limelight after many years of being in the shadows of Dallas sports. But the question remains, how long will Nill put up with DeBoer coming up short of the Stanley Cup Finals? It's a question that some fans might already be thinking about. They might even think more about it this season if the Stars return to the Western Conference Finals.
Now the Stars are entering game 7 against the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season. For one, I'm excited about the game tonight. The Stars have an undefeated record this round when the Stars end up playing on ESPN/ABC. You can't count out the undefeated game 7 record DeBoer carries into tonight's game against the Avalanche. However, you have to wonder if DeBoer's job is in jeopardy if the Stars get eliminated tonight.
Jim Nill has rewarded the team twice this season by getting high-caliber players in trades such as Mikko Rantanen. He showed up in game 6 in the second period only to see his teammates hand the Avalanche a win in the final frame. It's like giving a head coach a Ferrari or a Porsche only to crash the car 15 minutes later a couple of blocks from the dealership because you don't know how to drive it. I know the Stars are without Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen in this round, but DeBoer has had the remainder of the team to coach and advance to the next round.
I'm not saying Pete DeBoer gets fired tonight if the Stars lose against the Avalanche; however, that clock might start ticking. The Stars have one of the best offensive depths in this league, and if DeBoer can't get them to produce when it matters most, that's a coaching problem that needs to be fixed. Whether firing assistant coaches or getting rid of the entire coaching staff, losing tonight would be a step backward for Pete DeBoer. I hate to be the one to say it, but DeBoer's time to deliver a Stanley Cup to Dallas is running out.