Centennial head coach Kristina King knows better than to micromanage the state’s leading goal-scorer.

“She’s a really creative kid,” King said of sophomore forward Gabbie Hughes. “I try to let her stick with to her creative side,” King said, adding that she takes advantage of the teachable moments with Hughes as well.

Hughes scored her 37th and 38th goals of the season as the Cougars (15-5-1) edged Northwest Suburban Conference rival Blaine (16-3-0) 3-1 on Tuesday night at the Centennial Sports Arena.

Hughes and fellow sophomore Anneke Linser have been getting creative together since they led the Cougars in points as eighth graders, and led the team in scoring again as freshmen.

Hughes has scored 86 goals in her career for the Cougars, while Linser has added 52 after scoring the insurance goal in Tuesday’s victory. Both players have well over 110 career points each.

“(Gabbie) and Annika play extremely well together,” King said. “It’s fun to watch them, and tell them things to try, and then watch them do it on the ice.”

The chemistry that’s so evident on skates has been brewing since Hughes and Linser started skating together on a line as youth players.

“We’ve been playing together since we were eight or nine years old,” Linser said.

“We’re very close,” Hughes added about the pair’s off-ice friendship.

That chemistry will be key for the Cougars if they expect to advance past Blaine in the postseason this year, as the Bengals have ended Centennial’s season in back-to-back Class 2A, Section 5 playoffs. Centennial is currently ranked No. 12 in the latest Class 2A coaches’ poll, while Blaine is ranked No. 7.

Last season’s loss hit especially hard, as the Bengals scored the game-winning goal with just seven seconds to play in regulation.

“It’s a game I won’t ever forget, and a game the girls won’t ever forget,” King said.

Linser said that the wave of a regular-season sweep could carry the Cougars into the section playoffs.

“(The loss) still hits home, but it feels good to be able to say we swept them,” Linser said. “Hopefully, (the momentum) will carry over into sections.”