“We’re definitely a different team,” said junior captain Luke Miller. “Last year we were so structured, but this year we have a ton of skill and speed. It’s so much fun to play free like that, having that free reign.”

Miller, a left wing anchoring the second line, scored twice and tallied three assists in leading Wayzata (11-1-1) to its most impressive offensive output yet. The top-ranked Trojans are averaging four goals per game, which is improved (3.30 GPG last year), though nowhere near tops in the state. But considering Wayzata remains very much a fundamentally defensive team that thrives on making things as difficult as possible for its opponents, that figure is formidable enough, and more than twice as much as they need to get by (1.62 goals allowed per game).

With leading goal scorer Jibber Kuhl injured and watching in street clothes, the Trojans’ second line combination of Miller, Jake Mattson and center Cade De St. Hubert is picking up the slack. 

De St. Hubert had two goals, three points and a game-high six shots. Mattson finished with a goal and an assist as the three combined for 10 points and 15 of the teams’ 46 shots on goal against STMA (1-10-0). 

A junior transfer who scored 12 goals and 28 points at Hopkins last season, De St. Hubert is as happy to be working in the new Wayzata way as the Trojans are to have him.

“It’s a lot of fun,” De St. Hubert said of the style. “We feel like we’re one of the fastest and most skilled teams in the state, and I think it makes sense to use it. When we use it through the neutral zone and on entries, it’s working out great.”

Together, the second line has 45 points and 20 goals, about 40 percent of the team’s 52 for the season, while serving as an example of the team’s new identity: a hybrid of speed built on toughness and grit. 

Wayzata’s reformation into a team with offensive bite was a process. As the Trojans coaches watched this new group come together through the summer training program and fall camp, they marveled at the speed and wondered on all the ways it could be put to use.

Wayzata coach Pat O’Leary and the rest of his coaches saw the way their stable of forwards exploded through the neutral zone Thursday night. 

Blessed with perhaps the state’s top goaltender in Will Ingemann, O’Leary — now in his 12th year with a state title under his belt — felt confident his team could push the pace and take more chances.

“We knew we had some returning guys up front who can really move and make plays, as well as a group of defensemen with high end skill,” O’Leary said. “Early in the season, we figured we would see what we’ve got. Let’s see how well we can get up and down the ice, and really show our skill. 

“This is one of the most skilled teams I have ever had, so we need to let them play and just have some fun,” he added. “Once we get the puck out of our zone and into transition, they have more freedom to be the players they are.”