Brandon Dubinsky, the Rangers' newest goal-scoring star, has become as an offensive force at age 24 for one simple reason: He started skating.

Brandon Dubinsky, left, is congratulated by Ryan Callahan after scoring a goal in a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 20. Associated Press

This may not seem like a particularly valid explanation—it's like saying a basketball star improved because he started dribbling. But Mr. Dubinsky spent most of his five-year career with an unwanted label.He was a glider who moved his legs occasionally and let his blades take him where they may.

This season, as his legs took off, so did his production.

As the 14-11-1 Rangers look much improved from their ninth-place finish this season, Mr. Dubinsky has carried the load.

He leads the team with 12 goals and 20 points. He's also the team's most productive scorer, finding the net with 21% of his shots, and he has four power-play goals.

It's a story of maturity for Mr. Dubinsky. Before the season, Rangers coach John Tortorella said Mr. Dubinsky too often got caught up in his own success and got too comfortable.

In an effort to tweak Mr. Dubinsky's game, he was moved from center to wing.

"When Duby is a wicket, he's a very ineffective player," Mr. Tortorella said. "This is why I like him on the wing because it forces him to skate and go chase things down and go get into those areas. He has been very consistent with that all year long."

The Rangers had waited for Mr. Dubinsky, the 60th overall pick in the 2004 draft, to have a breakout year since he scored 14 goals in his first full season in 2007-2008.

He scored between 40 and 44 points in his three full seasons, performances that only hinted at his full potential.

His emergence is particularly important for the Blueshirts because it creates a newly balanced offense. No longer does Marian Gaborik, who scored 42 goals last season while no one else on the team had more than 20, have to shoulder the entire scoring load.

This season, Mr. Gaborik missed a month with a separated shoulder but was relieved when Mr. Dubinsky proved himself to be a prolific goal scorer.

"He's been good, and it's huge for him and for the team," Mr. Gaborik said. "It's important that we'll have more lines that can score so the other team has to pay attention to more guys."

Mr. Dubinsky, an Anchorage, Alaska, native, said his commitment to skating was a product of finally understanding the realities of NHL life—that hard work is a requirement.

Mr. Dubinsky said that since he was five years old, his father had been telling him to move his feet, but he had not fully embraced it until this season. In the process, Mr. Tortorella said that Mr. Dubinsky has also become one of the team's leaders.

"Every player knows they were a top talent and one of the more elite players growing up," Mr. Dubinsky said. "But as you get here, you learn there's only a few guys that separate themselves and are able to be those guys [who rely on talent] here. The rest of those guys need to make sure we're getting it done with the work ethic."

Mr. Dubinsky said that a product of his new-found mentality is his willingness to get into "dirty areas" in front of the net, in the corners or anywhere else on the ice that tends to be painful for a forward.

Using his body has become particularly important, since linemate Ryan Callahan said Mr. Dubinsky's biggest strength is his large 6-foot-1 and 210-pound frame, which helps him protect the puck near the net.

"He's bringing it every game," said Mr. Callahan. "He's finishing a lot better than in years past.''

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