Packard Comes Into His Own

Looks can certainly be deceiving. Listed at 6’5 and 225 pounds, senior Dennis Packard of the Harvard men’s hockey team doesn’t look agile, nor does he look like he’d be suited to the deft, fast-paced game of college hockey. Yet only a glimpse of the winger in action tells an altogether different tale.

Packard is, according to captain Kenny Smith, “a tremendous forward.” His line has garnered 16 points during the Crimson’s current seven-game win streak, and Packard netted himself a plus-five rating during the ECAC playoffs. And, of course, the senior’s empty-net goal sealed Saturday’s 4-2 ECAC championship game for Harvard (18-14-3, 10-10-2 ECAC).

But soft hands aren’t the only weapon in Packard’s arsenal. He has consistently proven himself one of the best defensive forwards in the league, using his tremendous wingspan and impressive footwork to thrive on the backcheck and penalty kill.

“He’s our best defensive forward by far,” declared Harvard coach Mark Mazzoleni.

“He’s able to get back very quickly,” Smith explained, “and then he’s able to get position on guys.

“If [Packard] gets in and covers you and gets his stick on you,” he added with a grin, “there’s not a heck of a lot you can do about it.”

THE INCREDIBLE HULK

Packard is big. Very big.

But, said Crimson goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris, “people overlook the fact that he’s so big yet he’s able to move so well.

“That’s what allows him to get into position to block shots.”

And indeed Packard does.

“He’s got great reach,” said assistant coach Gene Reilly. “He’s a big body, and he’s got courage.

“He’ll go down to block shots. He’ll take that missile in the shoulder or the chest and make that sacrifice for the team.”

Reilly also mentioned that Packard was a skater who had “the will, the desire, the determination to get better.”

Having a mammoth frame doesn’t hurt either, though.

“I think one of the biggest things is having a long reach,” Packard explained. “Being 6’5, you have a pretty long stick, so you’re able to cut down a lot of passes or shots that might get through someone who may be a little bit smaller.”

And though Packard lost out to Colgate’s Jon Smyth for ECAC Defensive Forward of the Year honors just over a week ago, he didn’t seem fazed against Dartmouth or Clarkson, especially when he netted the final goal of the championship with just 13 seconds remaining.

“It’s obviously a precious thing,” said senior Tyler Kolarik of Packard’s range. “It’s hard to find a guy with good hands like that, and he’s an offensive threat as much as he’s a defensive threat.”

It is a forward’s defensive prowess which is so rare, though, and it has been especially impressive on the top penalty kill unit, with which Reilly works closely.

Since a dismal 3-1 loss to Northeastern in the consolation round of the Beanpot, the Crimson has killed an impressive 86.2 percent of its penalties. In the ECAC playoffs, the team improved to 89.3 percent. And since the beginning of Harvard’s current seven-game winning streak, the squad has smothered 91.7 percent.

Packard attributes a great deal of his personal success on the unit to his collaboration with senior Rob Fried, who skated right wing to Packard’s left for part of this season.

“I’ve been killing a lot of penalties with Rob Fried,” Packard explained. “We’re starting to develop some pretty good chemistry on the penalty kill, kind of knowing where each other are, and we’re reading off of each other pretty well.”

LINING THEM UP

Of late, the best story for the Harvard hockey fans has been that of the patchwork and highly successful line containing Packard, junior Brendan Bernakevitch and freshman Ryan Maki.

The trio has skated together since the start of the Crimson’s win streak—which began with a 4-0 drubbing of Dartmouth in the regular season finale—and has generated 16 points thus far.

“Both [Bernakevitch and Maki] are great individual players,” Smith said, “[and] I think Pack brings a lot of leadership to that line.”

“They get to watch him and see exactly how hard you have to work to be successful.”

No stranger to offensive eruptions, Bernakevitch—who has notched 10 points since joining the line—has come on strong since exam break, with 18 points to his name since January 31.

Maki has also benefited from the grouping, only recently breaking an offensive dry spell. The rookie has tallied more points in the past month—four—than he had in the first three and a half—three. He also shares Packard’s hulking frame, soft hands and strong work ethic.

“It’s a real treat for Maki to get to play with those two,” Smith said. “In the next couple years, having played with those two will really have helped him.”

Packard remains modest about the line’s success.

“We’ve been complimenting each other pretty well,” he admitted. “Obviously, you can see it from the way [Bernakevitch] has been playing that he’s elevated his game to another level since the playoffs have come up.”

“Maki and I are kind of feeding off of his energy, and I think it’s working out pretty well for us right now.”

Packard’s consistent ability as a two-way player is reflected in his plus-18 rating over the course of this season, and his playoff plus-five serves as further proof. Once again, though, Packard deferred to the importance of chemistry, saying that “the plus/minus is more a reflection of how the line is playing as a whole.

“The way [Bernakevitch] and Maki have been playing offensively, especially in the playoffs, I’ve benefited a lot form having those two on the line,” he said. “Both of them have been scoring some big goals.”

PACK ATTACK

Packard is, by all accounts, a nice person. So nice, in fact, that Reilly would deem the skater good enough for his daughter—if he had a daughter, that is.

“To me,” Reilly explained, “that’s the ultimate compliment I can give a player. I just think he’s a great person.”

But Packard has had to learn how to use his 6’5 frame aggressively, something which has not always come so easily.

“We’ve encouraged him over the years to use his size and strength,” Mazzoleni said. “[Now] he plays a more determined, physical-type game. He uses his size and strength below the goal line well.”

Indeed, Packard has scored 10 goals thus far—his only year of four in which he has broken double-digits—and recorded 11 assists, which matches his career high.

“Dennis is a very effective player,” Mazzoleni said. “He’s got real good hands, he sees the ice well, he can make plays with the puck, and he’s developed his play into a power forward role.”

Reilly agreed, but he added that if Packard hoped for success at the next level—the senior is a seventh-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning—he must continue to intensify his play.

“I’d like to see him be a bit more tenacious shift-to-shift,” Reilly said, “because that’s what he’s going to have to do at that next level.

“He’s going to have to play [6’5] every shift,” he explained. “Guys will be coming after him every shift because of his size.”

And perhaps Packard’s greatest weakness is also his greatest strength.

“Sometimes,” said Reilly, “he’s just too nice.

“He’s got to be Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde on the ice. He’s got to learn that when he steps on that ice, it’s OK to be Mr. Hyde, because he’s the Dr. when he gets off.”