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High-powered Maple Grove eases past Centennial in Northwest Suburban Conference duel

By Loren Nelson, SportsEngine, 01/30/21, 3:00PM CST

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The Crimson have scored seven or more goals every game this season. Saturday, the team's offense was spearheaded by Kyle Kukkonen and Landen Gunderson, who each had four points.

Maple Grove senior Kyle Kukkonen scored two goals on Saturday against Centennial and has 22 points this season. Photo by Loren Nelson, SportsEngine

Maple Grove senior Kyle Kukkonen scored two goals on Saturday against Centennial and has 22 points this season. Photo by Loren Nelson, SportsEngine

Kyle Kukkonen doesn’t score every Maple Grove goal. Doesn’t assist on all of them — even his own — either. The kid is, after all, human.

Sort of.

After suffering a broken leg early last season Kukkonen, who scored twice in Saturday’s 9-3 victory over Centennial, was forced to watch in street clothes as the Crimson rolled to the state Class 2A tournament. He was stationed on the bench as Maple Grove lost to Blake 7-5 in a thrilling back-and-forth quarterfinal.

Maple Grove coach Todd Bergland was raw with emotion after that loss when talking to the media about playing the game without Kukkonen, the team’s heart, soul and any other vital internal organ or body part. Kukkonen, in turn, addressed the team in the locker room and said the Crimson were sticking together — no matter the offers to play elsewhere — for one more year.

“I think a lot of us just wanted to stay together and do something special this year,” said Kukkonen, a senior on the short list of this season’s Mr. Hockey candidates. “We left the tourney with a bad taste in our mouth.”

Maple Grove goaltender Jack Wieneke makes a save on a partial breakaway attempt by Centennial's Carter Korkowski. Photo by Loren Nelson, SportsEngine

Maple Grove goaltender Jack Wieneke makes a save on a partial breakaway attempt by Centennial's Carter Korkowski. Photo by Loren Nelson, SportsEngine

First Report

Mr. Hockey candidate Kyle Kukkonen was his usual, formidable self, scoring twice and adding two assists as Maple Grove cruised past Centennial 9-3 on Saturday afternoon at the Maple Grove Community Center.

Sophomore Landen Gunderson and senior Sam Jacobs also scored twice for the Crimson, ranked No. 1 in the Class 2A state coaches’ poll, as they improved to 5-0-0 while handing the Cougars (4-1-1) their first loss.

Gunderson scored twice and Kukkonen once in the first period, as Maple Grove surged to a 4-0 lead.

Centennial got a spark on a goal from AJ Carls early in the second period, but Jacobs’ two goals and one from senior defenseman Henry Nelson made the score 7-1 and set up a running time to start the third period because of the Crimson’s six-goal lead.

Maple Grove has outscored its opponents 45-10 this season, and Kukkonen, a senior Michigan Tech commit who missed much of last season with a broken leg, ranks among the state’s scoring leaders with 22 points.

Crimson goaltender Jack Wieneke finish with 24 saves. Centennial’s Leo Troje stopped 21 of 28 shots before giving way to Jack Fuller to start the third. Fuller made four saves on six shots.

Maple Grove's Landen Gunderson (17) celebrates with teammates after scoring early in the first period in Saturday's game against Centennial. Photo by Loren Nelson, SportsEngine

Maple Grove's Landen Gunderson (17) celebrates with teammates after scoring early in the first period in Saturday's game against Centennial. Photo by Loren Nelson, SportsEngine

The MN Hockey Hub poll is for entertainment purposes only.

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