Why Mathieu Darche fired Patrick Roy — the Sorokin situation explained

That's the real reason this moved fast.
This wasn't about standings or a late skid.

It was about how chances were developing, and how often Sorokin was facing clean looks from the slot and cross-ice plays.
Internally, that became a breaking point.

The Islanders saw a defensive structure slipping away from what had defined them for years.

Too many broken coverages.

Too many missed assignments below the dots.

And too little protection in front of the crease.
Roy's approach pushed for pressure higher in the zone.

Defensemen stepped up at the blue line, and forwards chased plays aggressively.
But when those reads failed, the back end opened up.

That left Sorokin dealing with second chances and lateral sequences that no system should consistently allow.

The Sorokin factor forced urgency

This decision tracks directly to the franchise goaltender.

Sorokin isn't just another starter - he's the foundation.

And the Islanders believed his environment had become unstable.

Once that line gets crossed, patience disappears.

Darche wasn't willing to let that carry into the offseason.

There's also a clear timing play here.
Roy had term left, but so did the risk of waiting.

Peter DeBoer was expected to draw interest across the league, and the Islanders didn't want to be late to that market.

So they acted early.

DeBoer's profile fits exactly what they felt was missing.

Support through the neutral zone that limits rush chances against.

That's a direct response to what unraveled under Roy.

This wasn't just a coaching change.

It was a reset around Sorokin.

The Islanders are betting that tightening their defensive zone play immediately stabilizes everything else - from their blue line decisions to their forward tracking.

Roy lost that trust.

And once Sorokin started taking the hit, the outcome was inevitable.

Also read on Blade of steel :
Islanders fire Patrick Roy in stunning playoff-race shakeup, hire Peter DeBoer