Kolarik is what those in the trade call a “gamer.” When his internal calendar flips from February to March, those Zamboni-sized thighs seem to churn with added ferocity, and his teammates can’t help but follow along.

“I just try to stay in the moment out there, playoffs or not,” Kolarik said. “I’ve been fortunate in the playoffs to have a little bit of luck, and have some things go my way.”

Maybe that sixth sense told him he needed to bring out Tournament-Time Tyler a couple weeks early this season. After all, he saw his team hit rock-bottom in the Beanpot earlier this month and is one of the Crimson’s most outspoken leaders.

He’s also a senior who seems to have taken a lot of the hard-luck losses to heart this winter.

“It took us awhile to figure things out this year,” said Kolarik, now tied for second on the team with eight goals. “Do I think we’re getting there? Absolutely. Do I think we’re there yet? No. We have a little bit to go, but we’re certainly on the right path.”

And history dictates that Kolarik’s play over the next several weeks will determine exactly how far his team walks down that path. Harvard is 5-1-1 this season when he scores a goal. Over four years, that figure jumps to 27-9-4—the kind of record over a hypothetical 40-game season that you might expect of a national champion.

“When Tyler Kolarik’s going,” Pettit said, “the whole team is going.”

So it’s good news for the Crimson that, with one regular-season weekend remaining, Kolarik has already begun to give his teammates their annual postseason pick-me-up.

“It’s very good to see him get on the scoreboard again,” Mazzoleni said. “He’s going to be a very key player for us down the stretch run, just as he always has been.”

—Staff writer Jon P. Morosi can be reached at morosi@fas.harvard.edu.