Raiders' Captain Zack Hayes has certainly found his scoring touch lately. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D'Andrea

Hayeser with a laser

Hayes stays hot for the Raiders; Friday to be special for Culling

Feb 13, 2020 | 4:53 PM

Zack Hayes didn’t really change anything.

He didn’t start eating Wheaties for breakfast. He didn’t switch to one of Zdeno Chara’s sticks. His pre-game routine, his practices, his preparation, all those stayed the same.

But Hayes’s game sure did make a change—he’s scoring.

Hayes ‘used to be’ a shutdown defenceman whose odd goal here and there would be a nice bonus to his Prince Albert Raiders. Now, he’s counted on it during his recent scoring streak.

He has three goals and four points in his last five games. To put in perspective how big that is, Hayes’s career high for goals in a single season prior to this year was three.

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That’s the best production over the last five games for the Raiders — only first-line winger Brayden Watts is beating him in that regard (three goals, six points in last five games).

It all started back on Jan. 31. The Raiders were on a power play, with a 2-1 lead late in the third period against the Lethbridge Hurricanes, who at the time led the league with 10 shorthanded goals. The Raiders power play was also struggling, and was in need of a change. All of those factors led to captain Zack Hayes being out there—to shut down the counterattack and give the slumping power play a boost.

With 2:22 left, Hayes dropped to a knee and scored easily the nicest goal of his career.

“Once the first one goes in, the confidence is just riding high. I’ve started to shoot the puck a little bit more and making sure my shots are getting through,” Hayes said. “The guys are doing a good job in getting to the net and Guhles is doing a great job of getting me the puck when he’s covered and vice-versa. It’s a team effort. The team’s been playing well, so that helps.”

Hayes scored two power play goals in his career, both coming in the last five games as well after largely being banished from the units for most of his career. Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid used to joke Hayes would “beg him” to get some power play time in the past. But now, the Raiders are actively looking to get Hayes some one-timer opportunities while up a man.

“It’s a big responsibility. They wanted a change on the power play, and now they’re sticking with what’s working I guess,” Hayes said. “We still have to produce though, we haven’t been great lately, but I think we’ve got it figured out in practice. We’ll all be better on the power play. It’s exciting, but we still need to be better.”

Culling

Since coming over to the Raiders on Dec. 27, Matthew Culling has settled into his new team.

Culling has three goals and five points in 20 games with the Raiders, outscoring his production in his previous 31 games he played with the Swift Current Broncos in the first half.

The 2001-born winger said he likes the adjustment fitting in with his new club.

“With the Raiders, we play with a lot more speed. That helps my game, but because I think I’m a quick player,” Culling said.

The Raiders are taking on Culling’s old Broncos on Friday at the Art Hauser Centre. It will be Culling’s second matchup against the WHL horses, as he played in the team’s’ 4-1 win on Feb. 1. Friday’s game will be the first time he’ll play his former club at the Hauser.

“It’s going to be a little different, obviously, but I think it’s going to be fun — fun and competitive to play against my old teammates. So it should be good.”

On Saturday, the Raiders will take on the Brandon Wheat Kings, 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre. The Raiders will close out their three-game homestand on Tuesday in taking on the Culling’s hometown Regina Pats.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW