from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe,
Alain Vigneault (Flyers), Rick Bowness (Stars), and Peter DeBoer (Golden Knights), three of the eight coaches with byes when the postseason begins, were all first-year coaches behind their respective benches in 2019-20.
Vigneault was hired after last season as part of Chuck Fletcher’s remodeling of the Broad Streeters.
Bowness, who had a one-year tenure as Boston bench boss (1991-92), came aboard in Dallas when Jim Montgomery was abruptly dismissed in December.
DeBoer, canned earlier in the season by San Jose, took over the Knights upon the astonishing removal of Gerard Gallant in January, only 18 months after the latter led the first-year franchise to the Cup Final. Not much equity in a Cup run, is there?
The sample size was less than two months, but DeBoer’s impact in the desert was powerful. The Knights were poking along at 24-19-6 (.551) when GM Kelly McCrimmon ditched Gallant, and DeBoer rallied them to 15-5-2 (.727) prior to the lockdown, slotting Vegas into the No. 3 spot in the conference behind the Blues and Avalanche.
As the NHL’s Midsummer Madness approaches, no telling who’ll best shake the March-April-May hibernation. But the initial traction under DeBoer could indicate the Knights have a shot at reaching their second Final in their first three years of existence.
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