It's no secret that Mike Rupp's hat trick was key to the Penguins' 5-2 victory Monday night against the Rangers in New York.

But what might have gone largely unnoticed was that Rupp's rampage gave him eight goals this season, allowing him to supplant Pascal Dupuis (with seven) as the leading goal-scorer among Penguins wingers.

Yes, Pascal Dupuis. Not Bill Guerin nor Ruslan Fedotenko. Not Chris Kunitz nor Tyler Kennedy.

Dupuis, whose output might not be quite as stunning as Rupp's -- Dupuis once got 20 goals in a season, while Rupp already has obliterated his previous personal-best of six -- is scoring more than almost anyone could have anticipated.

Consider that in 2008-09 Dupuis got 12 goals for the second-consecutive regular season but failed to generate a single one in 16 playoff appearances.

Now, scoring goals is not a primary facet of Dupuis' job description. His greatest assets are speed, energy and penalty-killing ability.

That makes it all the more satisfying that he's finding the net with reasonable frequency, scoring at a pace that gives him a chance to match, and maybe surpass, his career high.

"It's a good feeling, after not scoring much in the playoffs," Dupuis said.

Precisely why Dupuis has been showing up on the score sheet with such regularity is a bit of a mystery because the nature of his game hasn't changed, he is using the same equipment he did last season and his only meaningful adjustment has been to his offseason regimen.

"I worked out a little differently this summer," Dupuis said. "But that has nothing to do with shooting the puck."

Dupuis actually has shot the puck well for a long time. A significant percentage of his 56 career goals have come off the rush, with Dupuis using his speed to carry the puck into the attacking zone before overpowering the goaltender with a slap shot.

"He's got a nice shot," assistant coach Tony Granato said.

Dupuis figures that good fortune has been a factor at times, too. Like Saturday, when he beat Rangers goalie Steve Valiquette from above the right circle in an 8-3 victory at Mellon Arena.

"I shot from the boards, and the goalie was not well-positioned," Dupuis said. "It bounced, and went in."

Dupuis has been playing alongside Evgeni Malkin and Fedotenko lately, and it's not his first stint in a top-six role. More often, however, he is deployed as a third- or fourth-liner, likely because he has been unable to consistently convert scoring opportunities around the net.

"It'd be good to get some free ones in front of the net," Dupuis said. "But if I have a chance to take a shot from out there, I'll take it. If it creates a rebound or goes in, it's a big plus."

Granato, though, believes Dupuis has the ability to be more of a threat from close range, and that the success he has been having could give him the confidence to capitalize on more chances near the net.

"There are a lot of pucks there for him," Granato said. "Now, he's starting to program himself [so he can say:] 'I can be a guy who can score from in tight.' He should feel confident in his offensive ability, to know that he should be a threat."

One thing Granato doesn't believe Dupuis has to do is ratchet up his effort level.

"He's working for his chances," Granato said. "He's taking advantage of the opportunity to play with elite players, and he's working like crazy to get to the scoring areas."

If Dupuis finds a way to capitalize on more of those chances, that career-high of 20 he scored for Minnesota in 2002-03 just might be in danger.

"I can't set goals right now," Dupuis said. "If it keeps going this way, it would be great."

Penguins Plus, a blog by Dave Molinari and Shelly Anderson, is featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.