Desperate times call for desperate measures.
One week after the Vegas Golden Knights fired former Boston Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, the New York Islanders made the stunning decision on Sunday afternoon to fire head coach Patrick Roy as they continue to slip in the playoff race. After losing at home to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night and then at the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night, New York begins Sunday in third place in the Metropolitan Division.
However, they could find themselves on the outside looking in come Sunday night if the Flyers are able to beat the tired Bruins at home.
Islanders firing Patrick Roy continues late-season trend
The firing of Roy continues a trend in the NHL of firing coaches to fire up a team and help them potentially turn things around. New York is hiring veteran coach Pete DeBoer and doing so beyond this season. That quick strike takes one of the top candidates off the market this summer.
DeBoer had a lot of success with the Dallas Stars, but couldn't get over the hump and past the Western Conference Final. This move by the Islanders isn't about getting to the Eastern Conference Final, but more so just to get into the playoffs.
The problem for the Islanders when it comes to the playoffs is that they only have four games remaining, and every team around them has at least one game in hand, some two or three. That means things are out of your control when it comes to other teams' results.
However, their remaining schedule is against teams around them in the postseason hunt, except for the Hurricanes, who sit comfortably on top of the Metropolitan Division. New York closes the season with four home games against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, and Carolina.
Hiring DeBoer leaves Bruce Cassidy on the coaching free agent market and he shouldn't be unemployed for long this upcoming offseason.