Peter DeBoer pulls off impressive balancing act with Golden Knights

Peter DeBoer is proving to be an adept tightrope walker early in his Golden Knights’ tenure.

The coach is achieving the delicate balance of implementing long-term changes while prioritizing short-term results. The Knights are starting to play a different brand of hockey, but more important for them, it’s good hockey.

The team, which went 3-1 on a trip that ended Thursday and is 4-2-1 under DeBoer, returns to T-Mobile Arena to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday in its first home game since Jan. 11.

“You guys can see how fast and intense we’re playing,” left wing Max Pacioretty said. “Especially in our own end. It leads to a lot of great offense but also a lot less time spent in our own end. It’s very important for winning hockey games, especially as the games get tighter and the season goes on. That’s how you got to play in the playoffs to have success.”

Tough spot to start

DeBoer wasn’t put in an easy position when he took the Knights’ job. The team was 24-19-6, fifth in the Pacific Division and clearly underachieving.

The coaching change signaled the Knights still believed in their group, but time was of the essence. There were 33 games left in the season, and the team needed to make changes quickly.

They have, and the transition has been smooth. DeBoer has made tweaks. The penalty kill is different. Breakouts have been altered. Defensive zone assignments have been adjusted.

Despite all that, the Knights rarely have shown growing pains under their new coach. They’ve altered aspects of their game without looking hesitant or unsure on the ice.

“Every game there’s going to be mistakes, but every game you’re going to minimize those mistakes the more you’re used to doing certain things,” center Paul Stastny said. “It seems like the last couple games we’ve been playing a good team game, a good 60 minutes, kind of all three zones, special teams, and now it’s about putting it together.”

The Knights appear well on their way.

They capped their trip with a season-high seven goals in a 7-2 rout of the Florida Panthers. The trip was a big test for DeBoer’s modifications. The Knights played the Hurricanes, Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning and Panthers — teams with a combined .609 points percentage.

Against those four playoff hopefuls, the team had a 16-9 edge in goals and 90-49 advantage in scoring chances.

Home after eight games

Now they get to show off that improvement to their fans. When the Knights left for eight consecutive road games, they were downtrodden. They’re soaring upon their return and are two points behind the Vancouver Canucks for first place in the Pacific Division.

It took an impressive balancing act to pull that off. DeBoer was up to the task.

“I’m a big believer that if we’re playing the right way, then the points in the standings and the playoff spots will take care of themselves,” DeBoer said Wednesday. “I know the clock’s ticking, and the games are winding down, but we got enough time that if our game’s in the right place, which it has been the last three nights, then I’m comfortable that’ll take care of itself.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.