“We’ve played in the big games,” he said. “Hopefully those lessons will serve us well over the next couple weeks.”

ALL TOGETHER NOW

For the first time in nearly four months, Harvard has a healthy hockey team.

Charlie Johnson, the only player unavailable for last weekend’s North Country trip, should return to the lineup for this weekend’s home series against Vermont and Dartmouth. He has missed five games since sustaining a shoulder injury at Yale on Feb. 6.

At the time of his injury, Johnson was centering the Crimson’s third line, between Dan Murphy and Steve Mandes, and playing what Mazzoleni called his best hockey of the year.

Harvard has since received consistent play from its forwards and skated identical first, second and third lines during the last two weekends, so Johnson will likely break back into the lineup as a fourth-line center. But he said yesterday that he “[doesn’t] plan on being there for long.”

“I plan to get my feet wet again and go from there,” he said.

Johnson has seven goals and two assists this season and is tied for the team lead with four power-play goals. Mazzoleni cautioned that he didn’t want to rush him back, but expects him to be able to contribute again in relatively short order. “He’ll see some ice time,” Mazzoleni said. “He’s a good player.”

ROLE PLAY

Any team with hopes of making a tournament run needs its role players to perform. Fortunately for the Crimson, that’s already started happening.

Fourth-line forwards Kenny Turano, Rob Flynn, and Dan Murphy combined for four points in Saturday’s 3-3 tie at St. Lawrence. Mazzoleni was impressed with that line’s play throughout the weekend and called Saturday’s performance the best his fourth line had played all year.

“It’s a simple job for us,” Turano said. “We try to get it in the zone and grind it out there. Whatever chances we get are a plus.”

Turano generated—and converted—a chance on Saturday night for his first goal of the season, a slapper from the right circle. It came in his fifth game back from a broken ankle sustained in November that almost ended his senior season.

“Getting that first goal was a big jump, confidence wise,” Turano said. “It just feels great to be out there, battling with the team again.”

QUICK DRAW