Weak link or menace? Lowry finding his game after lengthy absence to start season

CALGARY — When Adam Lowry was searching for solutions, he was quick to point the finger directly at himself — even if the critical self-assessment was probably harsher than it needed to be.

While the Winnipeg Jets captain would have been well within his right to grant himself a bit of grace as he makes his way back from a lengthy absence and long road to recovery after enduring off-season hip surgery in late May, there was Lowry standing in the middle of the room on Saturday referring to himself as the weak link on his line during his first few games of the season.

During the past three games, the Lowry trio with Nino Niederreiter and Alex Iafallo has been a driving force at both ends of the ice.

“A big part of that is the reads that I’m making are so much better. In the first three games, I was slow,” Lowry said before the Jets earned a 4-3 shootout victory over the Calgary Flames to close out a six-game road trip. “I was maybe a little tentative, maybe getting used to contact, the chaos. You can only do so much of that in practice or when you’re skating by yourself. Nino and Al, they’re such consistent performers. They’re so steady, 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 how you envision it. The last (few) games we’ve certainly done a better job of getting the puck below the goal line. A lot of our offence comes off the forecheck, creating turnovers, cycle plays, hemming them in and that’s something we’re going to try and keep building, trying to get better at. We still have a lot of room for improvement from our line and that’s what the exciting part is.”

The Jets have returned a number of players over the course of the season-long six-game road trip that ended with a 2-4 record leading into a three-game homestand that opens on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Having Lowry back anchoring the checking line and looking more like himself is an important development as the Jets look to forge their identity and clamp down defensively.

On Saturday, Lowry was a major factor, recording two shots on goal, six shot attempts, five hits and going seven-for-12 (58 per cent) in the faceoff circle.

His 26 shifts for 17:21 represented a season-high in ice time, including 1:11 in overtime.

“He is a force out there,” said Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey, who extended his point streak to five games by chipping in two assists on Saturday and is up to 19 points in 18 games this season. “I have never played an NHL game against him and I hope I never do. He is a menace. He is all over the ice, 200-feet and he makes the job of the defenceman a lot easier and the guys around him.

“He is smart and plays under the puck. I think he has been playing really well and he is only going to continue to get better.”

When Lowry is at his best, he’s the kind of guy that gets a lot accomplished, both in terms of being responsible defensively, delivering important minutes on the penalty kill and doing his part to provide secondary scoring.

“I just wanted him to get up to speed,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel, who smirked when Lowry’s self-criticism was relayed to him. “It’s five months that he’s been out, it isn’t easy to jump right back in. He’s the one that said he feels like he’s the bicycle in a NASCAR race. That’s what it’s going to be. He’s starting to feel better each and every game.”

With the ability to often force offensive players on the opposition to play in the defensive zone, the Lowry line is the one that sets the table.

“They’re a luxury to have as a coach because you can throw them out to help change the tide in a game,” said Arniel. “If you need a good forecheck, you need some heavy hitting, also to start in our end of the rink, start with faceoffs and get out of there — don’t spend the time in there.

“It’s the hard work they put in that helps. The other guys recognize that. (Lowry) always likes to lead by example. That’s playing his game, a big, heavy, hard game. When he does it as the captain, not only can other players follow, but when he speaks in the room the other players recognize he’s doing his job.”

Having Lowry’s leadership and rugged style of play will be welcome as the Jets close out a busy month of November with six more games.

“Well, every line is going to look different. As long as they’re trying to accomplish a similar end goal, but within the structure,” said Lowry. “Ours is a little more straight lines off the forecheck, trying to be as responsible defensively as we can. But if you can bring the consistency from your line every night, you can expect that out of the other three lines.

“We want to be a strong defensive team. A team that plays fast, competes hard and that’s probably what our identity looks like. But the way we accomplish it is going to be different. As long as the results are the same, that’s the most important thing.”

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