Pete DeBoer was buoyed by the Dallas Stars being described as “lackluster.”
They squandered a chance to maintain home ice advantage. Losing a crucial fifth match The Stars are in danger of elimination after losing to the Oilers in the Western Conference finals.
DeBoer, in his second year as head coach, was infuriated by a reporter’s question during Friday’s post-game press conference after Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News described the Stars’ second-period offensive play as “lifeless.”
“You can sit here and ask us questions about our personalities if you want,” DeBoer said. “You haven’t been here all year. I haven’t seen you here all year. You’re here, that’s what you do. I’m not going to do that. You can write whatever you want.”
The Oilers led 1-0 after the first period but added two more goals in the second to seal the game, while limiting the Stars to just 10 shots through the first 40 minutes.
DeBoer’s explanation? The Oilers played the “perfect away game.”
“When you’re playing away and you’re going to draw, that’s the way you want it to go,” DeBoer said. “They want to get a two-goal lead early on on the power play and then they want to be defensive the whole time, so it’s tough to get through.”
DeBoer, 55, has come close to winning the Stanley Cup before, but has never managed to do so: He led the Devils in 2011-12 and the Sharks in 2015-16 to the Stanley Cup Finals, but lost both times.
To add salt to the wound, DeBoer was released by the Golden Knights in May 2022 (and then hired by the Stars shortly thereafter), and Vegas won its first Cup last season following his departure.
The Stars held a 2-1 series lead against the Oilers but lost the final two games.
The Oilers can beat the Stars with a win in Game 6 at home on Sunday.
