CALGARY—When Adam Lowry looked for a solution, he immediately pointed the finger right at himself—even though his critical self-evaluation was probably harsher than it should have been.
While the Winnipeg Jets captain had every right to allow himself a little leniency while returning from an extended absence and a long road to recovery from off-season hip surgery in late May, Lowry stood in the middle of the room Saturday calling himself the weak link in his line during his first few games of the season.
Over the last three games, Lowry's trio of Nino Niederreiter and Alex Iafallo has been a driving force on both ends of the ice.
“A lot of it has to do with the fact that my reads are a lot better. I was slow the first three games,” Lowry said before the Jets earned a 4-3 shootout win over the Calgary Flames to complete a six-game road trip. “Maybe I was a little insecure, maybe I was used to the contact, to the chaos. In practice or when you're skating on your own, you can do so much of that. Nino and Al, they're such consistent performers. They're so consistent, you know what you're going to get from them every night.
“If you have a weak link on the line, sometimes you don't look the way you think you will. In the last (few) games, we've certainly done a better job of getting the puck under the goal line. A lot of our offense starts with forechecking, creating turnovers, running plays, containing them, and that's what we're going to continue to build on, trying to get better. We still have a lot of room to improve our line, and that's what's most exciting.”
The Jets returned several players during a six-game season road trip that ended with a 2-4 record and led to a three-game home opener Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Seeing Lowry re-establish his starting line and look more like himself is an important development as the Jets look to solidify their identity and strengthen their defensive position.
Lowry was instrumental on Saturday, recording two shots on goal, six shot attempts, five hits and making seven of 12 (58 percent) in the faceoff circle.
His 26 shifts in 17:21 set a season-high in ice time, including 1:11 in overtime.
“He's a force,” said Jets guard Josh Morrissey, who extended his point streak to five games with two assists Saturday and has 19 points in 18 games this season. “I've never played against him in an NHL game and I hope I never do. He's a threat. He's on the ice, 200 feet away, and he makes the defenseman's job a lot easier and the guys around him.”
“He's smart and plays in front of the puck. I think he's playing very well and will only get better.”
When Lowry is at his best, he's the type of guy who gets a lot done, both in terms of defensive responsibility and in terms of playing important minutes on the penalty kill as well as fulfilling his role in securing the secondary.
“I just wanted him to get up to speed,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel, who grinned when Lowry's self-criticism was relayed to him. “He's been out for five months and it's not easy to come right back. He's the one who said he feels like a bike in NASCAR. He will. He's starting to feel better every game.”
With the ability to often force opposing forwards to play in the defensive zone, Lowry's line is the one that dictates the game.
“Their coach is a luxury because you can throw them out to change the game,” Arniel said. “If you want a good forecheck, you want big shots, and start on our side of the rink, start with faceoffs and go from there, don’t spend time there.
“What helps is the hard work they put in. The other guys understand that. (Lowry) always likes to lead by example. That means playing his game, a big, hard, tough game. When he does that as a captain, not only can the other players follow him, but when he talks in the room, the other players know he's doing his job.”
Lowry's leadership and gritty style of play will be welcomed as the Jets close out a busy November with six more games.
“Well, each line is going to look different. As long as they're trying to achieve the same end goal, but within the structure,” Lowry said. “We have a little more direct lines after the forecheck, we try to be as defensively responsible as possible. But if you can have consistency in your line every night, you can expect the same from the other three lines.”
“We want to be a strong defensive team. A team that plays fast, competes hard, and that's probably our identity. But how we get there will be different. As long as the results are the same, that's the most important thing.”
winnipegfreepress.com/kenwiebe
Ken Wiebe – magazine sports reporter Free presswith a focus on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and analyzed the market since 2000 for Winnipeg Sun, AthleticSportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at Free press in 1999 and returned to Free press full-time in September 2023. More about Ken.
Every report Ken creates is reviewed by a team of editors before it is published online or published in print – this is part Free pressRussia's tradition since 1872 of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free presshistory and mandateAnd Find out how our news department works.
Our newsroom depends on a growing readership to fuel our journalism. If you are not a paying reader, please consider become a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on readership to fuel our journalism. Thanks for your support.
