PITTSBURGH — When the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009, Pascal Dupuis celebrated. He soaked up his day with hockey’s holy grail. But he made a promise to his wife, Carole-Lyne – a promise to himself. He had been a spare part, appearing in 16 of the Pens’ 24 playoff games. Zero goals. Zero assists. Zero points. Minus-5.

View photos

“I was happy to win, but I was not one of the key guys that made the team win,” Dupuis said. “When the Cup showed up that summer, I told my wife that I’ll win it again, and I’ll be a big piece of the puzzle to get it again. Since that day, things have been going pretty well.”

The Penguins are one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year, if not the favorites. They held a 1-0 lead in their second-round series with the Ottawa Senators entering Game 2 on Friday night, and guess which member of their star-studded roster was tied for the NHL lead in playoff goals?

Sidney Crosby, the best player in the world? Evgeni Malkin, the reigning winner of the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player? Jarome Iginla, the future Hall of Famer? James Neal, the star goal-scorer? Chris Kunitz, the top-10 scorer in the regular season? Kris Letang, the finalist for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman?

None of the above.

Pascal Dupuis, the former journeyman, the throw-in in the “Marian Hossa” trade, the old spare part who willed himself to become a piston in the engine. Still burning to play that big role on a championship team, still improving at age 34, Dupuis entered Friday night with six goals in seven games – more goals than he had scored in 42 games over the previous four playoffs. He had two assists, too.

Asked if he surprised even himself, he paused. He has surprised others far more than he has surprised himself. That wasn’t a dream he had shared with his wife that day in 2009. It was a declaration.

Still …

“It’s great when you can surprise yourself, surprise everybody around you,” he said. “It means that you do stuff that people don’t expect. Usually, it’s a good thing. Yeah, ‘surprise’ could be a good word.”

* * * * *

Search “Pascal Dupuis” and “Marian Hossa” and “trade.” In retrospect, it’s hilarious to read what was written in February 2008. A great example:

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH — Every time Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ray Shero analyzed his team, he came to the same conclusion: A huge missing piece was a forward talented enough to play on Sidney Crosby’s line.

Shero took a major gamble to add that player, acquiring All-Star forward Marian Hossa from the Atlanta Thrashers in a deadline deal Tuesday that cost Pittsburgh two young forwards in Colby Armstrong and Eric Christensen, a top prospect and a first-round draft pick.

Dupuis isn’t mentioned in the first three paragraphs. He isn’t mentioned in the lead quote:

“We’ve always had a hard time finding that fit for Sid, and I believe Marian is a guy who can think at that level, skate at that level and, obviously, he can score goals and kill penalties and raise everybody else’s game,” Shero said.

Dupuis isn’t mentioned until the sixth paragraph – the end of the sixth paragraph.

Pittsburgh does get forward Pascal Dupuis in the deal, a right wing with speed who has 10 goals and five assists in 62 games.

How nice.

Story continues