Peter DeBoer’s Postgame Commentary Inaccurate And Unsatisfactory

When it comes to New Jersey Devils’ Head Coach Peter DeBoer, there is plenty of criticism to be found. DeBoer often makes poor lineup decisions, questionable line combinations/defensive pairings as well as his system which isn’t yielding much success. All that being said, there is one area of DeBoer’s coaching that is completely infuriating beyond all else and that’s his postgame commentary. Peter DeBoer has a list of his go-to comments as well as some fresh insight to the game which often is terribly wrong. Sometimes I truly wonder if DeBoer is actually watching the same game that everyone else is.

There are plenty of instances where Peter DeBoer has said things that are unsatisfactory, but I’m just going to focus on a few that really stuck out to me:

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12/11 @ Philadelphia

Starting with the most recent case of “What the DeBoer?” is last night’s game against the Flyers. The Devils simply did not show up and even though they were within a goal for half of the game, it never seemed like they had a chance to win. It was a terrible effort against one of the worst teams in the NHL and nobody could be happy with what transpired. In DeBoer’s postgame presser, he said that the Flyers were a “good team” and that he thought the Devils’ “effort was there.” Out of the 60 minutes, I don’t remember the Devils really showing up for any of them. It was an overall terrible game so I have no idea what DeBoer was talking about. DeBoer also said the defensemen didn’t fire enough shots, that’s why they only had 18, and that the team isn’t good enough to come from behind as it is. I didn’t know the team’s defense was responsible for all the offense and it’s good to see that DeBoer has faith in his team…

12/8 @ Carolina

In another game where the Devils did not perform up to standards, even though they did win the game thanks to Cory Schneider, Peter DeBoer took to his press conference and was pleased with the two points as he should be. The Devils were outshot 17-1 in the third period of that game and DeBoer basically said “I don’t care at this point.” I get being happy about a win, but not caring about the poor play is concerning. Then he went on to call PNC Arena a “tough building” – one of his favorite phrases. Peter DeBoer thinks every building the Devils play in is tough. I don’t know how an arena housing a last place team with around 9,000 fans in the stands can be considered tough but that’s his patented excuse.

Nov 1, 2014; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils head coach Peter DeBoer watches the action during the first period of their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

11/29 @ NY Islanders

This game, another loss, was an occassion where the Devils decided to only show up for 20 minutes. The one comment that really irked me was when DeBoer said that he liked the third period. In all fairness, the Devils did outshoot New York 16-2 – which is great – but they did not score. You can like the way they played all you want, but you need to score goals. What that comment also does is completely dismiss the fact that the team was atrocious for the first 40 minutes. It’s praising them for showing up to play 33% of the game.

11/25 @ Vancouver

On this night the Devils were shutout 2-0 by the Canucks. Cory Schneider played extremely well and yet, as usual, the team did not. The main culprit on the evening was Marek Zidlicky who could easily be blamed for both goals allowed. The biggest mistake made by Zidlicky was the fact he turned the puck over late in the game at the blue line springing a breakaway for Vancouver which Schneider stopped… then Zidlicky kicked the puck in the net. It was a terrible game for Zidlicky who’s had a brutal season defensively and DeBoer was asked straight up about his play. He didn’t throw him under the bus, as DeBoer has done plenty of times this season with guys like Schneider, Damien Brunner, Eric Gelinas and others, but instead he supported him. DeBoer said Zidlicky was just trying to make a play and that if he scored we would be patting him on the back. That’s great, but he didn’t. He messed up for the billionth time this season and cost us another game.

Peter DeBoer never seems to see what’s truly wrong with the team. He praises mistakes and fails to hold players accountable for their errors. It’s always the same players who can’t do no wrong and those who can’t do no right. It’s infuriating to listen to what he has to say night after night after poor performances and frankly I’m tired of it.