Hayes Back In Lineup: "We Need Him To Play Well"

Many times this season, including after Tuesday's morning skate at Madison Square Garden, Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault has spoken about the great wealth of talent Kevin Hayes possesses.

Now as Hayes returns to the lineup this evening against the Dallas Stars, after being a healthy scratch the previous two games, Vigneault wants to see Hayes play to his high-end skill level, and match that with a better work ethic and a deeper commitment to playing a 200-foot game.

"Kevin has all the possibilities," stated Vigneault Tuesday morning. "He's got great tools, we all know it. He's now got to find a way to put it all together. We're working with him to try and help him to put it all together. We need him to play well."

Last season Hayes scored 17 goals and totaled 45 points in 79 games, finishing as the NHL's fifth-leading rookie scorer. This year he has not seemed as decisive in his decision making with the puck and has struggled at both ends of the rink. Currently Hayes has six goals and 17 points in 37 games played.

Last week Vigneault clearly challenged the 23 year-old center with his public remarks and by sitting Hayes out in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

"I'm confident he's going to respond the right way," Vigneault said of Hayes. "There's been real strong preparation on his part and I'm expecting him to go out on the ice tonight and make the plays with the puck he needs to make at both ends of the rink, and I expect him to compete real hard when he doesn't have the puck."

There's not any grey area here. The head coach has laid out exactly what he expects to see from his young, highly-skilled player and now it's up to Hayes to deliver on those expectations.

Hayes will likely center the third line Tuesday, one that will feature Oscar Lindberg and Jesper Fast on the wings--based on the line combinations used at practice Monday.

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Chris Kreider will miss his first game of the season tonight. The 24 year-old winger suffered a cut on top of his hand right near the knuckle during an altercation Saturday with Florida's Brandon Pirri and the team is being cautious with it since there is no way to stitch the cut up.

Kreider explained that the main issue is making sure the cut does not get infected. He referred to himself as "day to day", and Vigneault added that he expects Kreider back in the lineup soon.

"There's another player that's been working real hard, trying to put his best foot forward," Vigneault said of Kreider and his play so far this season. "We need his quality game because he can be a big difference maker by going to the tough areas and making the gritty plays that need to be made. I expect him back in the lineup, hopefully in the next game, and we need him to play well."

Kreider, who scored a career-high 21 goals last season, has just six to go along with 18 points in 39 games this season.
Jim Cerny
BlueshirtsUnited.com

"This Is What I've Been Working For"

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Jayson Megna’s hard work over the summer and through three months in Hartford will pay off tonight when he makes his Rangers debut against the Dallas Stars at Madison Square Garden.

The 25-year-old will take the spot of forward Chris Kreider, who will miss tonight’s contest with a hand injury. 

“This is what I’ve been working for in the summer and then trying to keep rounding out my game in Hartford to be able to get another opportunity to play in the National Hockey League,” Megna told reporters after the team’s morning skate. “It’s very exciting for me. I’ll be looking to do the best I can with it.”

Megna has skated in 34 games in Hartford this season, registering seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points. He leads the Wolf Pack in shots on goal with 110, while his 18 points are second on the team. He said he’s skated mostly at center, predominantly with Marek Hrivik, Brian Gibbons and Adam Tambellini.

Megna, who signed with the Rangers on July 1, has 48 games of NHL experience to his name over two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In those games, the forward has five goals and five assists for 10 points with 20 penalty minutes. 

“I have been playing well,” the Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-native said. “There’s certain areas of my game that can always be better, but I’m happy with the way I’ve been playing. I’ve been getting a lot of scoring chances down there. Pucks haven’t necessarily been going in or bouncing my way, but hopefully I’ve been saving them for tonight.”

Alain Vigneault said he was unsure where Megna would play tonight, but did allude to the possibility of Megna taking Kreider’s spot on the power play. The head coach said he’s gotten good reports from Hartford on Megna.

“Very consistent at both ends of the rink. Very competitive,” Vigneault said of Megna. “We feel that it would be a good time to see what he can do at this level.”

Vigneault said Megna had a strong training camp, and that it came down to a “numbers game” that prevented Megna from making the team in October. 

“I thought it was a real strong camp,” Vigneault said. “He scored a couple goals. We were using him on the power play … He did play real well and we knew at some point we were going to take a look at him. Maybe we should have done it a little bit earlier, but it’s never too late.”

By Matt Calamia