Lowry not planning on changing his game after suspension

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This article was published 09/03/2019 (2375 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASHINGTON — Adam Lowry often plays a big, mean game that makes life miserable for opponents. But the powerful Winnipeg Jets shutdown centre admits it burns a bit to think some might consider him a dirty player.

Just finishing a two-game suspension, for high-sticking Nashville’s Filip Forsberg, Lowry said he isn’t about to adjust his on-ice approach.

“You’ve got to accept the suspension and take responsibility for it, but not necessarily agree with it. And I can’t let it change my game. I’ve got to play hard and play responsible, two-way hockey and still try and contribute to this team,” Lowry said following his return to action Friday night in Raleigh.

With his time in NHL jail over, Lowry had to overcome one more obstacle in the form of a nasty virus, but slotted back into his familiar spot on the third line, chipping in his ninth goal of the season as the Jets rolled to an 8-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.

To be clear, he doesn’t think the punishment fit the crime.

“I don’t agree with the length of the suspension,” Lowry said in his first interview since the incident and subsequent ruling by the league’s department of player safety.

“I’ve got to be more careful with my stick. It’s a reckless play. I’m glad Filip wasn’t hurt or anything. Any time somebody gets clipped in the face, it’s dangerous. But I think when the stick swings around like that, if it’s intentional, there’s going to be a little more damage than him getting up and coming back on that power play.”

Lowry admitted video of the play might have looked bad — he essentially swings his stick into Forsberg’s face — but said he was off-balance after taking a hit seconds earlier.

“You see that the stick comes down slowly. I feel like I’m looking past Forsberg, I’m not looking at him. He hits me and it’s not even a hard check. I have no reason to be upset at that point and I tried to convey that. He gives me a bump and I lose my balance. You see my arm move a little bit and I stumble a little bit, and by the time I regain my balance, my stick is already parallel to him,” Lowry said.

“I use a long stick and I can’t stop it. I’m happy he’s OK. Obviously, we have a good rivalry. You want to play them hard and you want to play them fair. You don’t want to see anyone injured. The biggest thing out of this was that Filip was OK.”

Lowry was previously suspended in November 2014 for boarding Buffalo’s Patrick Kaleta. 

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“I try and be as physical as I can, when I can, and I try not to put my team into too many detrimental situations. I know I’ve been suspended one time before, but it was five years ago. You live and you learn. That’s been the only hit that has kind of been questionable. You want to keep the players that you’re playing against safe,” Lowry said. “Everyone is a good person, and you don’t want to hurt anyone or jeopardize their career or their well-being. You want to play hard, but you want to play fair as well.”

Lowry skated between Brandon Tanev and Bryan Little, while Andrew Copp moved down to the so-called fourth-line and scored a pair of goals Friday on a trio with Mathieu Perreault and Jack Roslovic. That gives head coach Paul Maurice the kind of forward flexibility which makes his team deep and dangerous.

“Well, (Lowry’s return) was good as the individual, an important part of our penalty kill, but also what it does to the structure of our group. Andrew Copp’s line doesn’t have to be viewed as a fourth line, there’s skill on that line. There’s a bit of a hybrid with Andrew in the middle, it’s a real strong defensive line and there’s lots of skill there. We’ve been able to run it twice, Nashville at home and then (Friday) night. We’ve looked good with it,” Maurice said Saturday as his team practised at Capital One Arena in Washington.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg

Mike McIntyre
Reporter

Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.

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