He's awfully hard to miss when he walks into a room, but Nikita Pavlychev (Yaroslavl, Russia) is even harder to miss when he steps out over the boards for a shift.
For Penn State this season, shoring up the defenses has been of the utmost importance to head coach Guy Gadowsky. And when his team has needed a boost, the Pavlychev line has been there.
"We don't think of them as a fourth line, because they've started just as many games as anyone else," Gadowsky said. "But they're such a tough line to play against."
"When there's a lull in the game or we're having trouble getting momentum, and you put that line on the ice, something is going to happen and emotions will get high. They're valuable to our team because of that."
The 6-foot-7 Russian centers a line with sophomore Sam Sternschein (Syosset, N.Y.) and junior Blake Gober (Colleyville, Texas). Suffice to say, you won't see many other team's top lines out on the ice against Pavlychev's unit.
"You notice they never want to put their top line against Nikita," Gober said. "He's a big guy and his stick might be three feet taller than I am. We just have a commitment to playing tough every shift and getting wins for the team."
Gadowsky also spoke Monday about the challenges other teams face in trying to effectively combat their line, and both the physical presence and mentality that Pavlychev brings to the ice.
"It seems very obvious, but his physical attributes are just so overwhelming," Gadowsky said. "We know no one likes to see him come over the boards when you're on the ice."
"It's also his mentality that is the issue (for other teams). He has the mentality that he is going to beat you, and he really takes pride in his defense."
Pavlychev is on a three-game point streak, including four points this past weekend against the Spartans, but what Gadowsky admires most about Pavlychev's game is the enjoyment that he takes in shutting down the opposition.
"I know he's scored a lot this year, and he's certainly developing his offensive play," Gadowsky said.
"But I think he takes more enjoyment in shutting other players down than he does scoring himself, and that mentality makes it so difficult to play against him."
His teammates have taken notice too, as Gober noted how thankful he is to be on Pavlychev's line rather than going against it in practice and in games.
"I wouldn't want to play against Nikita in practice, so I'm happy to be on his line during it," Gober said. "We do whatever we can, we block shots and like to play tough."
As for their mentality as a line, Gober noted how committed they are to both limiting their opponent's chances and enabling themselves offensively to counter other teams.
"I think we just have a commitment to playing good defensively," Gober said. "It doesn't necessarily mean we're going to be in our end the whole time. We want to be in their zone, we want to be fast and physical, and we just want to bring energy and play with an edge every game."
