Rangers' Julien Gauthier gets a chance to impress on top line

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Julien Gauthier had no advance warning that he might get moved to the top line. But with two forwards out of the lineup because of injuries and the Rangers trailing entering the third period of Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings, coach Gerard Gallant was looking for something, anything, to create some sort of spark.

First Gallant moved Artemi Panarin, who had started on the top line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, back to his usual spot on the left of center Ryan Strome. He put left wing Alexis Lafreniere on the right of Kreider and Zibanejad. And in the third period, Gallant moved Gauthier, a natural right wing, up with Kreider and Zibanejad.

"I had no idea and no expectation that this would happen at the end of last game,’’ Gauthier said Thursday after the optional morning skate before the Rangers’ game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. "It just kind of happened like that.’’

Gallant must have liked something he saw from Gauthier on the top line, because all indications Thursday were that he planned on going back to that combination again.

With Kaapo Kakko on injured reserve because of an upper-body injury and Filip Chytil still out with a lower-body injury, Gallant’s options were limited. But giving Gauthier an opportunity with Kreider and Zibanejad required the coach to have faith in him.

"Obviously, the guy that’s supposed to be there [Kakko] is not playing,’’ Gallant said. "So with Gauthier getting the opportunity, he’s been a steady guy . . . He gets a chance to play with two of the top players in our team that are having real good seasons, and I like what he brings. He brings speed [and] he’s playing a real good game now. He’s more confident than he was earlier in the year.’’

"I think my progression from the start of the year to right now — I’m a different player,’’ Gauthier said. "I play better, I play a more responsible game. And [I want to] just kind of keep trending towards that direction.’’

According to the website Natural Stat Trick, Gauthier had generated the second-most high-danger scoring chances (37) on the Rangers entering Thursday, behind only Kreider’s 49. He had only three goals and three assists in 30 games to show for it, though. On Thursday, he seemed to understand the significance of the opportunity he was getting.

"It’s the first time I think I’ve been in the top six [forwards] for my whole stint with the Rangers,’’ he said. "So I think it’s pretty exciting.’’

Gauthier was an extra forward at the start of the season, then became a regular after Sammy Blais was lost to a season-ending knee injury. With the emergence of Greg McKegg on the fourth line, though, Gauthier was a healthy scratch last Friday in the loss to Carolina, and he was supposed to be a scratch Saturday against the Arizona Coyotes.

But when Kakko was a last-minute scratch for that game after warmups, Gauthier got to play, and he scored a goal in the Rangers’ 7-3 win.

Gauthier said he spoke with Zibanejad and Kreider about what the unit was looking to do against Columbus. A "heavy forecheck’’ was the main focus, he said. That was something he thought the line did well in the time it was together on Monday.

"I think we had some good opportunities,’’ he said. "We had some good forechecks going. Obviously, we didn’t play 20 shifts together — we had like maybe two or three. But I think these were effective.’’

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.