From this morning’s media availability in Winnipeg:
Dustin Byfuglien #nhljets doing his best Maeshawn Lynch "as long as we stick together as a team we'll be alright," to all media questions
— gary lawless (@garylawless) April 21, 2015
Marshall Lynch AKA #nhljets Dustin Byfuglien with about 10 straight "we have to stick together as a team" answers. #thanksforcoming
— 680 CJOB Sports (@CJOBSports) April 21, 2015
Jets' Dustin Byfuglien response to each question: 'As long as we stick together as a team we'll be all right.' Marshawn Lynch media training
— Helene Elliott (@helenenothelen) April 21, 2015
No word if Byfuglien was just there so he wouldn’t get fined, but there’s no question his play has been put under the microscope after the Jets fell 3-0 down in their series with the Ducks.
From the Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle:
Dustin Byfuglien – one of their best players and one of the biggest reasons they even made the postseason – foolishly punching the Anaheim Ducks’ Corey Perry after a key goal against, taking a bad penalty at a bad time to force his team shorthanded while they were already reeling.
Down 2-0 in the series, Winnipeg had to have this game against the top team in the West.
In part due to plays like that, they didn’t get it.
We’re not quite ready to write off the Jets. A Winnipeg win tomorrow and all of a sudden the Ducks will be feeling some pressure to take care of business at home in Game 5.
But considering the Jets went into the playoffs with people questioning 1) team discipline and 2) Byfuglien’s leadership, it’s interesting how things have played out.
In the first two games, Anaheim scored three power-play goals.
Then, last night, in the most important game in franchise history, Byfuglien took “a penalty he can’t take.”
But as long as they stick together as a team, perhaps they’ll be all right.
Related: No further discipline for Byfuglien after Perry hit
Updated: Here’s the video...