Cutter Gauthier has put together one of the most productive stretches of his young NHL career, making history with the Anaheim Ducks through a series of impressive performances. He scored a goal and added an assist in Anaheim’s 5-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. That gave him nine goals over four games, making him the first player in Ducks history to reach that mark in a four-game span. His back-to-back hat tricks against Ottawa and Vancouver had already made him the first player in franchise history to record hat tricks in consecutive games.
Gauthier Explains What Changed in His Game
Gauthier credited his recent success to keeping his approach simple, trusting his instincts and making better use of his shooting ability. He also pointed to the work of power-play coach Jay Woodcroft, who helps the players identify weaknesses in opposing penalty kills before games.
“It’s kind of a weird stat, but it’s cool,” Gauthier said. “Our power play is doing really well. Jay Woodcroft does a great job pointing out opposing PK weaknesses before games. When the special teams are playing well, that wins you games. I’m very happy with how our power play is going so far.”
The forward also spoke about the adjustment he made after struggling to find the net early in the season.
“It’s been fun,” Gauthier said. “I was getting too cute, trying to find the right shot or the right play. I just had to simplify things and shoot more. That creates chances for my teammates, too.”
He further explained that he has been relying on his instincts and the work he puts in during practice. Gauthier said he tries to use his legs and speed to create opportunities on the rush, take his shots and make the most of power-play chances.
Quenneville and Caulfield Praise Gauthier’s Scoring Ability
He became the third NHL player since special-teams statistics began being tracked in 1933-34 to score seven power-play goals across four games. Teemu Selanne and Dave Andreychuk were the other two players to achieve that mark.
Ducks coach Joel Quenneville spoke about Gauthier’s scoring ability and recent production.
“He can be streaky scoring wise,” Quenneville said. “A lot of his production is on the power play and a couple 5-on-5 goals. He knows how to shoot and release quickly. Nice production, and the power play is feeding into it.”
Teammate Judd Caulfield also praised the forward’s ability and confidence.
“He’s an unbelievable player, he’s so smart, he’s got an unbelievable shot too and it’s been fun to see the success he’s had recently, and I hope to see it continue,” Caulfield said.
Gauthier has recorded 17 points, including 11 goals and six assists, in 15 games this season. Anaheim will look to extend its winning run when it faces the Calgary Flames on Friday.
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