That’s just an expression, of course. High school players don’t actually get paid spending cash. If they did, Kuchinski-Helgeson, who has six goals this season after scoring 16 in 25 games last winter, would be a wealthy man. 

Given his history as a decidedly one-dimensional scorer, it came as a bit of a shock to Little Falls coaches and players, most especially Kuchinski-Helgeson, when he uncorked a first-period snap shot from 25 or so feet out that sailed into the net just under the crossbar. A sniper’s goal.

“When I shot that one I was like, ‘Wow this is amazing. I didn’t really know I could do that,’ ” Kuchinski-Helgeson said. “I’m so used to just getting the grinding goals, off the goalies’ pads on the rebounds.”

Added Couture: “I guess he was a little surprised, like all of us. We’ll take it.”

Kuchinski-Helgeson returned to his comfort zone to start the second period, scoring a less flashy but more typical goalmouth goal 44 seconds into the period to put the Flyers ahead 3-1. 

“That was my natural goal there, right on the ice,” he said. “Just slide her in.”

Little Falls senior forward Tauer Morrison, a converted defenseman, notched his first varsity goal in the second period. Morrison thought he had scored a goal earlier in the season on a shot from the point, but it was taken away after video review showed a deflection off a teammate. There was no doubt this time, and Morrison has the puck wrapped with a piece of hockey tape documenting the particulars to prove it.

Little Falls, No. 5 in the latest Class 1A coaches' rankings, was in need of some feel-good moments Saturday. The Flyers (5-1-1) were coming off an 8-1 beatdown at the hands of No. 2-1A Gentry Academy, a game that offered a startling reality check.

“They worked us pretty hard, but we gained something out of it, a positive thing,” said Tony Couture, Dane’s father and Little Falls head coach. “We need to work harder.

“I think sometimes when you are ranked, and anybody you play that is not ranked, then you look down on them a little bit. But that’s not the case with our kids. They can’t do that.”

Dane Couture and Kuchinski-Helgeson said they were glad to have had the opportunity gauge themselves against one of the state’s best, even if they were none too happy with the outcome.

“It felt like an NHL game to me,” Kuchinski-Helgeson said. “They were making tape-to-tape passes all the way up and down the ice. The best hockey playing I have ever seen from a high school team, that’s for sure. I loved it. 

“But I did start losing my cool, thinking, ‘What can I do? What can I do?’ ”

Saturday’s game against Mound Westonka (3-2-2) offered a return to a more conventional, albeit high-end, Class 1A opponent.

“Gentry, that’s a different animal to say the least with the kids they have on that team from all over the country,” White Hawks coach Jake Hinderman said. “We knew what we were getting in Little Falls after they lost that game.”

The White Hawks, coming off Friday night’s 7-4 win in New Prague, were skating on short rest given their 11:30 p.m. return home. Max Krebsbach’s goal early in the third period pulled the White Hawks to within 3-2.

“We just got off to a slow start, and then we ran out of time,” Hinderman said.