Playoff Performer of the Night | Dustin Byfuglien

If there was any doubt that Dustin Byfuglien was loving grinding out an eventual 7-4 win to help the Winnipeg Jets take a 2-1 series lead over the Nashville Predators Tuesday night, you just had to look at his dance moves.

If there was any doubt that Dustin Byfuglien was loving grinding out an eventual 7-4 win to help the Winnipeg Jets take a 2-1 series lead over the Nashville Predators Tuesday night, you just had to look at his dance moves.

"It was just kind of the spirit of the moment," Byfuglien said of the moment taking him. "I've probably danced a couple of times in my day, but not lately."

Byfuglien's moves with the puck were definitely something to dance about.


"Big Buff" helped the Jets respond to an early 3-0 deficit in the opening frame by lighting up the scoreboard with a pair of his team’s four goals in the second period, and later assisted on teammate Blake Wheeler's game-winning goal in the third to complete his three-point night. The assist was his 10th point (3-710) in eight games in 2017-18 Stanley Cup Playoffs action. His 27:12 of ice time led all Jets skaters in Game 3.

His dominance this postseason has not gone unnoticed by his teammates.

"He's the great equalizer," said Wheeler. "There's nobody like him. Having him on our team gives us an advantage no matter who we play. That's the type of player he is, and from Game 1 of the playoffs he has just dominated."

Byfuglien, who also earned the game's first star, received high praise not only from his team captain, but head coach Paul Maurice.

"Well, what makes him unique is he can I don't know if take over is right," began Maurice. "But he can make an impact in a game in just about every single way possible. He can defend, he can play real physical, nobody wants to drop the gloves with him. And then there's an offensive side. It's a perfectly placed shot, quick hands, all the other things that he can do offensively."  

The puck drops on Game 4 Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. ET as the Jets look to secure another 'W' at home before the series shifts back to Nashville.


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Complete 2018 Stanley Cup Playoff Performers here