“[Now] I trust my shot more,” Pettit explained. “If I’m lacking in confidence, I don’t feel comfortable releasing the puck.”

“His shot is hard and accurate, but the quick release is what makes Tim so effective,” said sophomore defenseman Noah Welch.

Whatever the root of Pettit’s difficulties, he seems to have comfortably returned to last season’s form, currently leading the team in points (8) and tied for second in goals (3).

In Pettit’s mind, there is little doubt that his scoring malaise is ancient history.

“I feel really confident that I can score goals and at the same time, I also feel that I can set up plays more,” Pettit said.

His return to form is warmly welcomed by the rest of the team.

“We need Tim Pettit,” Harvard coach Mark Mazzoleni said. “We didn’t have Tim Pettit for a couple of weekends. The guys that get a lot of ice time for you have to deliver.”

Welch said that although Pettit may have been struggling with his play, he kept his frustration internal.

“He never gets down on himself,” Welch said. “A bad game Friday is not going to carry over to Saturday.”

On a team with 13 NHL draft picks and significant depth, the undrafted forward with the sweet slapshot is still relied upon in crucial game situations.

“I get an opportunity to go out there when the game’s on the line, both when we’re winning and losing,” Pettit said.

Pettit is a fixture on Harvard’s power-play unit—double-shifting at times last weekend—a fact reflected in his team-leading 10 power-play goals last season.

If Pettit can, in fact, maintain this kind of scoring production, he might repeat last year’s Ironman-esque feat of playing in all 34 games, one of only three players on the Crimson to do so.

“I think the biggest thing for me right now is to show my consistency,” Pettit said.

Count on his now-infamous slapshots to indeed be consistently utilized—just don’t expect Pettit to talk about them.