Islanders' Patrick Roy turns to Julien Gauthier to provide more offensive push on the fourth line
New York Islanders right wing Julien Gauthier (16) skates in the third period against the Philadelphia Flyers at UBS Arena, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Elmont. Credit: Corey Sipkin
Julien Gauthier knows now is not the time for big-picture thinking. He made his season debut for the Islanders on Saturday night against his hometown Canadiens at UBS Arena after four games as a healthy scratch. It was his first NHL action since a homecoming match in Montreal on Jan. 25 before spending the rest of the season with the team’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
For now, that’s enough.
“You can make some scenarios in your head but it’s one day at a time here,” said the 27-year-old from Pointe-aux-Trembles, Quebec. “I’m going to keep that mindset and we’ll see how it goes. I’ve just got to focus on playing well tonight.”
Coach Patrick Roy made his first change of the young season among his skaters by inserting the speedy Gauthier for the sharpshooting Oliver Wahlstrom on the struggling fourth line with center Kyle MacLean and left wing Casey Cizikas.
“Nothing major,” Roy said. “We just feel like it’s been four games and we want everybody touching the ice. I think it’s good timing for him to go in. It has nothing to do with who we’re playing against.
“I thought our fourth line played really good hockey in Colorado [a 6-2 win on Monday] and the same thing in Dallas [a 3-0 loss on Oct. 12] and against the Blues [a 1-0 overtime loss on Thursday]. Wahlly did a good job and now it’s time for Julien to go in. They’re different players. Julien has a little more speed than Wahlly. Wahlly is more dangerous around the net.”
The revamped fourth line — minus Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck this season — did not generate a point through the first four games with Wahlstrom. Per NaturalStatTrick.com, the trio allowed 21 scoring chances while generating just six and had nine high-danger chances against it while generating just two skating five-on-five.
Not that the fourth line is expected to be among the top scorers but Roy has repeatedly said he wants all four of his combinations to provide offense.
“I think we can definitely do better,” MacLean said when asked about his line’s advanced metrics. “I don’t think we’ve played our best but it’s not like we’re down in the dumps and thinking that we’re playing awful. There’s room for improvement for our line to create more opportunities and limit those chances. Not the worst but still a lot of improvement to build on.”
Gauthier skated with MacLean in three of the Islanders’ six preseason games, including once with Cizikas.
His speed has always allowed him to push the puck to the crease. It’s been finishing and generating points that’s been an issue for Gauthier, selected 21st overall by the Hurricanes in 2016.
He entered Saturday with 19 goals and 22 assists in 180 career NHL games, including stints with the Rangers and Senators.
Last season, his first in the Islanders’ organization after signing a two-year, $1.58 million deal, Gauthier had five goals and four assists in 27 NHL games before ending the season with seven goals and three assists in 17 games for Bridgeport.
“It’s for sure disappointing sometimes,” Gauthier said. “But I worked hard on my game down there. I worked hard this summer, too, and now I’m ready to get it going again.
“It’s always nerve-wracking a little bit when you get your first one of the year. I feel ready to go and I’ve just got to skate hard and do my thing and play with intensity. Forechecking hard, finishing our checks and we play a good, 200-foot game.”
The 6-4, 225-pound Gauthier said that style meshes well with his speed and physicality.
“Absolutely,” Gauthier said. “I think I did good in preseason and training camp. We had really good forechecks every game. I’ve just got to keep doing the same thing, the same mindset, the same approach.”
And focus day-to-day, not on the big picture.
Notes & quotes: Goalie Semyon Varlamov got his third start of the season after Ilya Sorokin was in net for the last two games of the road trip, notching 32 saves against the Avalanche and 29 against the Blues. Roy said his goalie rotation right now is all about keeping both netminders sharp. “Yes, 100%,” Roy said . . . Defenseman Dennis Cholowski remained the other healthy scratch.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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