Rangers' Julien Gauthier making most of his chances this season

Julien Gauthier left Tuesday’s game against the Wild in the first period with what the Rangers called an upper-body injury after he was hit simultaneously by Minnesota forwards Brandon Duhaime and Ryan Reaves, his former teammate. But the 6-4, 224-pound Gauthier skated at practice on Wednesday, declared himself fit and was back in the lineup Thursday night when the Rangers played the Dallas Stars at Madison Square Garden.

“I’m good, I’m good,’’ Gauthier said Wednesday. “It was a precaution thing, you know? I was kind of crunched in between two guys, [but] nothing’s bad at practice . . . so I’m ready to go.’’

Unfortunately for Gauthier, he was injured again Thursday when he collided with teammate Sammy Blais in the first period. Gauthier left with an upper-body injury and did not return.

Gauthier has been steady for the Rangers since they recalled him from the minor leagues in late October. He was solid in his first game (Oct. 26 against the Islanders) and held his spot in the lineup when the Rangers played in Dallas three days later. He assisted on the winner and scored an insurance goal in the Rangers’ 6-3 victory, and from that point on has established himself as a lineup regular.

“I’m playing well, playing hard, trying to play physical and fast, trying to do what I’m asked to do,’’ Gauthier said. “And we have a good chemistry with our line. We try to bring some energy and some offense to it.’’

Gauthier, 25, has provided most of the offense on the Rangers’ fourth line. Despite averaging just 8:39 per game — the lowest of anyone on the roster — he entered Thursday with six goals and three assists in 31 games.

The six goals are one more than he had scored in his NHL career before this season and double the number he had last season, when he struggled to finish the multitude of breakaways, semi-breakaways and other high-danger scoring chances he generated in his 49 games.

This season has been different. He is finishing the chances he didn’t finish a year ago.

“You’re trying to get the coach’s trust a little more, you know?’’ he said when asked what has changed for him. “You try to play consistent every day. I practice, I work hard, on and off the ice, in the gym and stuff, to try to make a solid place in the lineup every night. You’ve just got to keep doing that, and good things eventually happen if you do the right thing.’’

Gauthier, who signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the Rangers over the summer, clearly was determined to prove his worth to the coaching staff and management in training camp. He had a strong camp and preseason but still was sent to AHL Hartford to start the season.

Rather than pout when he got sent down, Gauthier worked hard and scored two goals in four games with Hartford. So when the Rangers needed to call someone up, he was first on the list. Now, with his improved finishing, Gauthier has earned Gerard Gallant’s trust and made himself a fixture in the lineup. He is well on the way to earning a new contract for next season.

Entering Thursday, he had played in 31 of a possible 35 games since his recall (he missed one game with an upper-body injury in early November). He sat out the last three games leading into the Christmas break.

Gauthier has played in every game since the break, though, and he said the consistent playing time has helped him.

“You find that momentum to your game; you find a rhythm,’’ he said. “It’s just, you try to evolve and not be in the same place as last year, right? This year is better than last year, obviously.’’

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.