Despite some pointed criticism from coach Alain Vigneault yesterday, Kevin Hayes remained in the lineup against the Bruins, starting on the third line, while rookie Oscar Lindberg was a healthy scratch for the fifth straight game.
Hayes was pointless in Wednesday night’s 5-2 victory, playing 11:47, with two shots and three hits on a line with Chris Kreider and Eric Staal.
Around noon, Vigneault had repeated his assessment that Hayes, 23, and in a sophomore slump, “needs to be a little more assertive . . . protect the puck better, use more speed in certain situations, and we need him to be defensively responsible.