Like Muhammed Ali, he floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.

Or, in his case, a "Killer B."

And like the former heavyweight boxing champion, he's not afraid to charge into the corners to tangle with an opponent.

But skates and a stick--not gloves--are Harvard men's hockey wing Tim Barakett's chief tools of success.

And the rink--not the ring--is where he is making a name (and a nickname) for himself.

With fellow "Killer B" and linemate Allen Bourbeau, Barakett, a junior and a resident of Mather House, is carving out a place in the hearts of Harvard fans while carving up opponents' defenses.

Barakett's 13 goals and 15 assists this year have helped lift the Crimson (10-4-1 overall) into first place in the ECAC with a 10-2 mark. He is third behind Harvard Captain Scott Fusco and Bourbeau in league scoring and ranks among the top 20 scorers in the nation with an average of almost two points a game.

"Tim's really good with the puck," linemate Ed Krayer says. "He handles it well and passes well. He's always a threat."

In just 15 games this season, Barakett already has more points than he did last year when he racked up seven goals and 11 assists.

"Last year, he got pushed off the puck and out of the corners a lot," Harvard Assistant Coach Ronn Tomassoni says. "But this year he's doing the pushing."

"I'm happy for Timmy," says Yale Coach Tim Taylor, who recruited Barakett at Loyola High School in Montreal. "Things are finally falling in place for him. He's finally adjusting to Division One style of play."

Credit Barakett's marked improvement to a summer spent working out in weightrooms in Montreal.

"Getting the extra strength allows me to do much more on the ice," Barakett says. "It gives me more confidence to do a little extra, to hold on to the puck a little longer and to go into the corners."

Barakett came into the Crimson's opening contest against Yale 25 pounds heavier than he was in last year's opener. And while the extra weight couldn't prevent his team from falling to the Elis, 7-5, his hefty performance in later games--especially against Cornell in early December when he recorded a hat trick--helped lead Harvard on a 7-0-1 tear before Christmas break.

Although he earned a game puck from the Cornell contest, Barakett downplays his role in that game and others in which he has been his team's leading scorer.