In addition to taking care of the puck and providing stronger defense and pressure on the penalty kill, the Crimson will need another strong performance from freshman goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris. Grumet-Morris came up with two huge games against Brown, and the Crimson will need his stonewalling to beat Clarkson.

“Dov is going to be a very good goalie,” Mazzoleni said. “I really like his competitive instinct.”

One factor aiding Clarkson in its quest for a slow tempo will be the television timeouts, which result in automatic stoppages at the 16-, 12- and 8-minute marks. Harvard rarely plays televised games, and the unusual stoppages could disrupt the Crimson’s fast-paced rhythm.

On the other side of the coin, playing at Olympic Arena should help the Crimson. With its larger ice surface, Olympic Arena will allow plenty of extra space for Harvard’s fastest skaters, like junior Dominic Moore and sophomore Tyler Kolarik, to maneuver with the puck.

The Crimson will also be bolstered by the return to the lineup of sohomores Kenny Turano and Dennis Packard, who were both absent from Saturday’s win over Brown. Freshman Noah Welch and sophomore Tim Pettit, who have had a week to recuperate as well, should be closer to 100 percent than last weekend, when they both played slightly injured.

The Crimson look to be at close to full speed coming off its most consistent efforts of the season. The momentum they gained against Brown will be key heading into the biggest game of the season.

“We’re probably playing our best hockey of the season,” Grumet-Morris said.

“If we play the way we’re capable of, we’ll be in a position to come out victorious.”

Face-off is 4 p.m.