Golden Knights fire Gallant despite 6th-best Stanley Cup odds

Former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire)

January 17th, 2020

The Vegas Golden Knights have surprised the hockey world before. They did it again Wednesday, when they fired Gerard Gallant, the coach who only two years ago took the expansion club to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in its first season.

The decision caught players, fans, and pundits by surprise.

Not only did Gallant guide the Golden Knights to two straight playoff appearances in two season, but he also has a Jack Adams Award on his résumé for his work in the 2017-2018 season, when Vegas made it within three wins of a championship.

Peter DeBoer, formerly with the San Jose Sharks, has taken over behind the bench in Vegas.

April 2019: Gerard Gallant calls Pete DeBoer a “clown”

January 2020: Gerard Gallant is replaced by... Pete DeBoer
— Brodie Brazil (@BrodieNBCS) January 15, 2020

Odds to win the Stanley Cup

Team	2020 Stanley Cup Odds

Tampa Bay Lightning	+750
Boston Bruins	+800
Washington Capitals	+850
St. Louis Blues	+900
Colorado Avalanche	+950
Vegas Golden Knights	+1200

Golden Knights are slumping

The Golden Knights’ recent schedule looked like an opportunity to stash some points away, with games against the Los Angeles Kings, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Buffalo Sabres.

None of those teams are currently in a playoff spot, so this part of the schedule should have provide a boost. The opposite has transpired.

The Golden Knights have dropped four straight games to those supposedly lesser opponents, and the recent slump pushed them one point out of a playoff spot. They’re also only three points back of the Pacific Division lead, and still in the thick of the playoff race.

Pretty disgusted with today’s firing of Gerard Gallant.

Not only was a good coach fired, the @GoldenKnights replaced him with a clown! 🤡

So hard to root for a team coached by this absolute clown.

Horrendous move by Vegas.
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) January 15, 2020

Despite some struggles this season, Vegas still has the sixth-best odds to win the Stanley Cup—currently +1200 at BetAmerica.

The Golden Knights entered the season regarded as possibly the best team in the Western Conference. The odds certainly reflected that right at the beginning.

Goaltending has been an issue

Most of the metrics paint what should be a more flattering picture of the Golden Knights, but goaltending has been identified as an area of weakness.

Two years ago Marc-Andre Fleury was sensational, with a .927 save percentage for Vegas. This year that save percentage has dropped to .906, below his career average of .913.

Malcolm Subban’s save percentage is even worse, at .898.

"It's tough as a group, as a team, to cost a coach their job... just feel responsible for letting this happen." - Marc-André Fleury.@GoldenKnights players react to the team firing Gerard Gallant earlier today. pic.twitter.com/rvWb3SyzRQ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 15, 2020

Perhaps there are tactics DeBoer can implement within the defensive system that can tighten things up and help the goaltenders.

Any team serious about a run to the Stanley Cup needs its goaltending to reach a higher level. That has yet to happen in Vegas this season.

Are the Golden Knights still contenders?

The events of this week were certainly done to provide a spark.

The Golden Knights are two years removed from a visit to the Stanley Cup Finals. We’re keeping them as a Stanley Cup contender this year.

But in the NHL things can quickly turn in the other direction.