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Leonard: Hayes improving after 'ego check' from Ranger coach

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MANDATORY CREDITDarryl Dyck/AP

Rangers’ Kevin Hayes is maturing after getting ripped by his coach.

PITTSBURGH — Kevin Hayes admits Alain Vigneault gave him “an ego-check” in late December.

But if the second-year center’s reprehensible early-season habits warranted his coach’s harsh criticism and consecutive scratches, Hayes’ encouraging response to that unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation seems to reflect a lesson learned as well as maturity in understanding the expectations of an NHL player.

“Basically I try to be professional about it,” the 23-year-old told the Daily News Monday morning at the Garden, citing teammate Keith Yandle and brother Jimmy Hayes of the Boston Bruins as veterans he has leaned on for guidance. “Guys go through stretches where they’re not playing their best hockey, even the best players.

“It was obviously an ego-check,” Hayes said of what really was the first major humbling experience of his hockey career. “But I’m just trying to get back to basics, and basics means you have to try your hardest. It means your work ethic, and with your skills use your brain to make the correct plays.”

Hearing Hayes articulate the exact elements of his game that needed fixing reveals why his performance has picked up lately, even if his production is not yet reflecting that dutiful approach.

Hayes has no goals in his last 12 games and just two goals and four assists in 14 games since being benched. However, he is back to using his 6-5, 227-pound frame to extend forechecks while distributing, and most importantly he is back-checking hard to recover after any miscues or completed offensive zone shifts.

VIGNEAULT FURIOUS WAYNE SIMMONDS NOT SUSPENDED

Vigneault’s patience with Hayes’ lackadaisical start to the season, including turnovers and insufficient effort, ran out when the coach ripped his young forward following a Dec. 29 practice in Nashville.

“What I’m seeing now, and what we’re seeing now, is not good enough,” Vigneault told reporters before benching Hayes at Tampa on Dec. 30 and at Florida on Jan. 2. Vigneault added “we all have our tipping points” and that Hayes was not working hard enough despite receiving “an extra-long leash.”

Monday morning, Vigneault interestingly said that he may have handled the situation differently if he had known Hayes better prior to the coach’s outburst.

“You learn more about the players, like Kevin is a sensitive young man,” Vigneault said. “If I had to do that over again, I might not do it the same way. As a coach sometimes you try different things and learn different things from testing your players different ways. He’s a good kid, real sensitive, he wants to do well. Sometimes you’ve got to go through tougher times to learn and get better.”

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On the other hand, the coach can’t argue that Hayes’ commitment and impact on games have improved.

“I’m pleased (with Hayes’ response),” Vigneault said. “He’s gone through that (tough time), and I’ve gotta say the last two or three weeks he’s played real well for us at both ends of the rink — protecting the puck, doing a lot of good things with it, using his teammates better. So I’m very pleased with his progression.”

Vigneault’s insight into Hayes’ demeanor, though, isn’t off-base either. Hayes, an extremely confident young man, nevertheless said his games sometimes progress based on how they start. His first few shifts can mean the difference between his ineffective stretches and his stronger, puck-controlling performances.

“If I play well at the beginning of a game, sometimes it helps me feel good the whole game,” Hayes said. “It’s not that I lost confidence (earlier in the season), but there were a couple games where my first couple shifts went badly. Then I don’t want to make any more mistakes so maybe I just start dumping and changing.”

Regrouping from bad starts will be just another step in Hayes’ growth. It’s encouraging to see Hayes now putting his head down trying to work his way out of this, teamed most recently with Swedes Oscar Lindberg and Viktor Stalberg on the wings.

The next step will be improving on his seven goals and 22 points in 51 games to try and get closer to his rookie year output of 17 goals and 45 points in 79 matches a season ago.

“Our line’s playing well,” Hayes said. “I think my game’s going in right direction.”

Tags:
kevin hayes ,
alain vigneault ,
new york rangers ,
nhl

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