Pete DeBoer Talks the Dallas Stars Playoff ELIMINATION of the Winnipeg Jets

Pete DeBoer Talks the Dallas Stars Playoff ELIMINATION of the Winnipeg Jets

Yeah, just before I take questions, I just want to acknowledge a couple things. One, you know, condolences to Mark Schiffley and his family. I’m a I consider myself a Kitchener guy. He’s a you know, his family’s from Kitchener. Um, you know, the just courageous, you know, what he did tonight. And uh I’m sure you know his dad would have been really proud of him and and what he did and you know and I’m sure his dad would have wanted him there. So um tough night for for him and anybody in the hockey world you know that uh has been in a situation like that. So uh hats off to him you know courageous young man you know. And then the second thing I want to acknowledge is the Winnipeg Jets. You know, I can’t imagine there’s a better coach team in the league than that that coaching staff did with that group. I’m a little biased because we work in the West, but uh won the President’s Trophy. Uh they they give you nothing. They play hard. They play as a team, great leadership, but you know, I I I think uh you know, they should win the Jack Adams running away in my opinion with the job they did this year. So, you know, hats off to those guys, too. All right, Taylor Pete, um, with such a heavy emotion going on on the other side, how do you kind of how do you even approach your team going into this one? Yeah. Well, I mean, we we just tried to keep it business as usual, you know? There’s no real right answer to that. So, um, you know, I I think I think you saw the respect in the in the line after the game for for what they were going through and particularly Mark. Uh, you know, but for us, I mean, it it was important to take care of business and, you know, I I I was proud of our group. You know, we stayed in the moment. We stuck with it. You know, this was a series where, you know, you you were never going to feel comfortable. You know, the offense was really hard to come by. There was no room out there. Uh there was not a lot of power plays. Um and you know what, we we world class goalender. We stuck with it. Stuck with it. And you know, I was I was proud of how we won that game tonight because, you know, a a less mature team doesn’t win that game. You just beaten two of the best teams in the league with a lot going against you. Um just how proud of you are that A. And then B, do do you still have more? Do you still have another gear? Yeah, it’s hard to believe we’re halfway, right? Feel it. It sure feels It sure feels uh It sure feels like we’ve been through a lot, but you know, that that’s the beauty of the NHL playoffs. I mean, we’ll take a couple days. I I think we got a lot left. I I think, you know, I’ve said it here. I think we’ve got something special going on. We’re going to have to prove it again. You know, we’ve been to this spot the last two years and and haven’t taken the next step. So that’s the challenge. And you individually, you make the playoffs. You go deep almost every single time. How proud of you of that to to make the conference final yet again. Yeah. Well, I’ll tell you, you know, I’m what I’m proud of is is our coach my coaching staff. You know, I I thought this series was one and pro, no, I I shouldn’t say this series, you know, we’re we’re where we are this year in the playoffs because of our special teams and our goalending. Uh, our five on-5 plays been good, but our special teams and our goalending have been exceptional. And that that’s, you know, Jeff Reese, Steve Spot, Ela Nazertine, you know, those guys, uh, when it goes the other way, when our power play was bottom of the league the first two months of the year, those guys took a lot of flack. Um, you know, so they should get a lot of credit, you know, because that’s carried us through two rounds and allowed us to get healthy and get Mero back in the lineup and get Robertson back in the lineup. Uh, how important is a player like Sam Steel in a game this tight? Yeah. Yeah. depth, you know, it’s it’s depth and and uh you know, you learn a lot about people, you know, uh in pre in pressure, high intense situations and Steeler has an unflapability. He raises he he raises rises to the occasion. I thought Mason Marchman did too tonight. I thought he was he was exceptional for us. Just a couple names. I mean, there’s a long list of guys. Uh Ivan Dawkins, of BS3 TV, great game, coach. Um, from what I understand, there is a warrant out for the arrest of Jake Odinger. He has committed, in the words of Daryl Razer, grand lararsenying. Talk a little bit about his play. Well, I think I alluded to that. I mean, you know, our our goalending’s been exceptional. Uh, listen, he just went headtohead with, you know, the maybe the MVP of the league and and what everyone is is saying is the best goalender in the world, and he probably was this year in Hellabuk. and uh and he went toe-to-toe with them, nose tonose with them the entire series. So, you know, great great uh great character gut check by Jake. Um and he’s delivering, you know, at a real key time for us. I I thought Mr. Game seven would throw the game tonight so we get another opportunity. um what can you draw on last year’s experience in Edmonton against Edmonton and how they can kind of relate to this group? Yeah. Yeah. You know, it’s a good question. Every year is different. They’re a different team this year. You know, I think a lot like Colorado I they’re a better team this year. They’re a deeper team this year than they were last year. Uh you see they’re getting scoring from a lot of different places other than McDavid and Dry Cidle and they still have that element obviously every night. So, I think it’s a lot like the Colorado series where, you know, we can look back at last year, but I think this is a different better version that we’re playing. And I and I believe we’re a better version of ourselves from last year, too. So, you know, it’s going to be a great test. Thomas Harley, obviously game-winning goal. He’s been outstanding in the playoffs and just a rock on this team. Your thoughts on his game? Yeah. Yeah. Charles is uh you know if there’s an MVP the second half of the season uh with what happened with Mero, you know, I think it would have to be him. Um he just he went to a different level. We we piled so much on his shoulders, you know, from running the power play to playing against other team’s best players to transitioning the puck. Um and the kid just keeps delivering and delivering every night. Hey Pete, just curious. I know it worked out in the end, but Sam Steel’s breakaway. Curious your take on that penalty shot versus not, and then how you quickly flipped that to let’s focus on scoring on the power play. Yeah, I haven’t looked at it. You know, it it didn’t look like a clear cut penalty shot to me. I don’t know if it if it was or not, but uh you didn’t spend a lot of time on that. We just wanted to to dial in on the power play. And I think actually having uh the break and the fresh ice was a key key part of that. the the break came at the right time and the and the fresh ice was was critical I think in the first two minutes. Jim Montgomery talked about the chess match that had gone on between he and Scott Arneal in the first round. Could you give us an idea of what that felt like for you, the X’s and battles that went on as a series? Yeah, well I I I think I alluded to the fact I I got tremendous respect for Arie and that coaching staff. I think uh I think it was the best coach

Pete DeBoer talks the impressive play of Jake Oettinger as the Dallas Stars ELIMINATE the Winnipeg Jets in Round 2 of NHL Hockey Stanley Cup Playoffs

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