Byfuglien keeping things light with Jets

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien brings a balance that works. On the ice, he's physical and intense, a strong skater with a booming shot. Off the ice he's laid back, cracking jokes, pulling pranks and keeping the mood light.
"An old-school presence with an easy-going attitude," Jets forward Paul Stastny said.

The Jets (52-20-10, 114 points) are going to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time since relocating from Atlanta to Winnipeg in 2011. As they prepare for the intense hockey that comes with the postseason, the Jets have appreciated Byfuglien's demeanor as much as his defense.
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"He wants to win, but he keeps it light," Stastny said. "Sometimes we take things too seriously, sometimes we don't realize how fun it is and how lucky we are to be in this position. When you're having fun, that's when you're playing better."
Byfuglien (six goals, 35 assists) has played a major role in the Jets' outstanding season, so much so that coach Paul Maurice believes Byfuglien is playing the best hockey of his career as a defenseman.
"The last two years, we've chased a lot of hockey games. He's a very competitive man so when you're down one (goal) or two, he's going to do everything he can to change that. It's not a great recipe for a foundational game for a defenseman," Maurice said. "His game has evolved in lockstep with our team: try to play the right game and if we're down a goal, it's not the end of the world. We have confidence in our ability to come back because we can score goals. We're more patient, and he's a leader in that department."

Byfuglien has evolved, from playing forward when the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010 to the steady defenseman he has become with the Jets. His mischievous nature and relaxed attitude have always been there.
"He's a great guy, always has fun and good for everybody in that regard off the ice," Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith said. "It can be a long season at different times during the year, and other times when the team isn't doing so well, he can keep it light. That's a big part of it too. You need guys like that on a team to have a successful team."
The Blackhawks were the subject of his pranks even when after Byfuglien left Chicago following the 2009-10 season. Prior to a practice in Florida several years ago, Blackhawks right wings Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa found their gear in tatters - "our stuff was cut up; big holes in it," Kane said. The Jets had practiced before the Blackhawks that day, so Kane knew who to blame for the shredded gear.
"You knew it was him," Kane said with a laugh. "It couldn't have been anyone else. It was Buff."
Byfuglien learned a lot in his time with the Blackhawks, especially during that 2010 Cup run. Part of a young team trying to end decades of hockey frustration in Chicago, Byfuglien went from defenseman to forward, scoring 16 points (11 goals, five assists).
"I think we just all kind of came in together," Byfuglien said. "It was just the bonding that we had. Just things that go on in the room, you become a family. You never lose it, really."
He sees the Jets coming together the same way.

"We've gone through it and we're going in the right direction," he said. "We still have work to do, but we're doing the right things here."
Byfuglien's game keeps improving. What's always been strong is his sense of humor, his ability to keep things light. The Blackhawks benefitted from that in 2010, and the Jets could do the same now.
"Care-free, having fun every day, win or lose, just trying to get better and enjoying being in the League," Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp said. "You could say that for a lot of those guys on those teams back then, but Buff stands out the most."