Cutter Gauthier is a brewing star for the Anaheim Ducks. But his center debut was tough to watch against the Boston Bruins.
With five points and two goals in his first six games, Gauthier is off to another hot start. Last season, Gauthier followed up a 44-point, 20-goal campaign with 41 goals and 69 points. He’s looking to make another massive jump this season, but his play hit a speed bump on Friday night.
Gauthier, a winger, was forced to play center thanks to injuries to centers Mikael Granlund and Ryan Poehling. Gauthier ended the game with an assist and a plus-1 across 21:20 of ice time. But he also finished with abysmal faceoff numbers, going just 4-for-20 in the circle.
It’s not that Gauthier is bad at taking faceoffs. While he primarily lines up at wing, Gauthier had 123 career faceoff wins, good for a 46.4 faceoff win percentage, heading into Friday’s game. While those aren’t eye-popping numbers, they still project for Gauthier to at least perform better at the faceoff dot.
Overall, Gauthier won just 20 percent of his faceoffs on Friday. That number sank the Ducks’ faceoff win percentage to just 31 percent, or 18-for-58. Take out Gauthier’s faceoff numbers, and Anaheim finished at a slightly more respectable 14-for-38, or 36.8 percent.
Cutter Gauthier Struggled In First Game At Center
Winning faceoffs is one of the key responsibilities for centers. Maybe it was a bad outing at the dot. But if Gauthier wants to make an impact at center, he must work on getting more consistent in winning his draws.
It’s not like Gauthier was against taking on the role. Via Hayley Elwood of the Ducks’ team site, Gauthier said before the game:
“I’ve been a center pretty much my whole life, up until the NHL. So it’s definitely a position I’m comfortable with and something I’ve been speaking a lot with the coaches, coaching staff to want to play that center role and I’m excited for the opportunity tonight.”
Ducks’ coach Joel Quenneville also weighed in on Gauthier. Prior to the game, Quenneville said:
“He’s dangerous wherever he is around the ice. He’s got such a deceptive shot, and he’s a quick release, and he’s an opportunist, be it off the rush or in zone. I just think his speed’s very important, too, for presence through the middle of the ice. So I’m curious to see how he handles it, but I think he’ll be fine.”
In Gauthier’s defense, he still played well in some instances, contributing to one of the Ducks’ two goals and being just one of eight Ducks to end the game with a positive plus/minus rating. Gauthier also finished the game with a positive 56.5 Corsi For Percentage at 5-on-5.
Ducks Face Another Center Question With Mikael Granlund Injured
Granlund’s injury forced Gauthier into the middle. Given his previous experience playing center in the past, he was a reasonable candidate to fill the gap.
That said, struggling to win faceoffs, especially in the defensive zone and on power plays, can hurt the team. Now, the relevant question is this: Do the Ducks keep using Cutter Gauthier at center while Granlund recovers, or do they return him to winger?
Granlund is expected to join the Ducks on their upcoming road trip that begins on Oct. 19 against the New York Rangers. It signals that Granlund may return at some point during the road trip.
For Gauthier, one bad night at the faceoff circle shouldn’t automatically lead the team to return him to winger. Add in his production and experience at center before he came to the NHL, and there is a good chance the Ducks will use him again in the middle. Finally, Gauthier hasn’t historically been bad at the faceoff dot, so he also has that working to his advantage.
Cutter Gauthier Posts Stunning Faceoff Numbers In New Role