During Monday's practice, Minnetonka's Derek Frawley took a scalding pass from assistant coach Steve Aronson near the right faceoff circle, turned and ripped the puck past the goalie and into the far upper corner of the net.
The play drew whistles and whoops from teammates who appreciate the skills of guys such as Frawley, fellow junior forward Thomas Schutt and sophomore Sam Rothstein -- players who fly under the radar but have helped Minnetonka soar to new heights.
Minnetonka (25-1-2), ranked No. 1 most of the season and seeded No. 1 in the Class 2A boys' hockey tournament, opens play against Lakeville North (11-15-2) at 6 p.m. Thursday at Xcel Energy Center.
The Skippers' four Division I recruits -- senior captains Max Gardiner, Troy Hesketh, Justin Holl and Andrew Prochno -- get the headlines. Several other players are capable of giving the opposition headaches.
"The same four guys aren't going to bring it every night," Skippers coach Brian Urick said. "We're fortunate in that we have younger guys who understand their responsibility. The country club is closed. They have to show up and work."
Minnetonka's depth showed in the eight games Gardiner missed because of a broken wrist. Schutt, normally the second-line center, took over Gardiner's spot on the first line and provided a combined eight points in victories against state tournament qualifiers Edina, Duluth East and Moorhead. Minnetonka did not lose a game while Gardiner was sidelined.
"Coach told me I had to step up and score some goals," Schutt said.
Upon Gardiner's return, Schutt resumed his role as a defensive menace, a player who gets into the breezers of the opposition's top forward and stays there.