Jets forward thinks he's a goaltender

BET À DAY

Old instincts sometimes come back when you least expect them. Once a goaltender, Winnipeg Jets forward Adam Lowry showed Tuesday night that he could still handle the big pads. 

In the first period of the game against the Seattle Kraken, the Jets had to defend themselves on a four-minute long penalty kill. After defenseman Brenden Dillon's stick shattered, Lowry had the presence of mind to hand him his.

With only his skates to block shots without injury, the number 17 showed courage by throwing himself in front of the Kraken's shots. Lowry first extended his left foot to frustrate Justin Schultz, before again showing his mastery of the butterfly style past Jordan Eberle.

“I could have been a goalkeeper. I played a little in this position when I was young, he confided after the meeting, according to the Sportsnet network. […] I kept my equipment for a while and I never really gave up on that dream. I was in love with goalie pads and face masks. But I'm a little too normal to be a full-time goaltender.”

Like several little brothers before him, Lowry found himself playing doorman for his sibling on the rinks as a child. Both boys eventually became forwards, as Joel Lowry was drafted as a left winger by the Los Angeles Kings in 2011.

No stick, no problem for Lows on the PK 😤 pic.twitter.com/2yMYAlBrO4

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) February 15, 2023

Sacrifice for the team

The crowd at Canada Life Center cheered his hero after his saves, which gave the Jets energy. Indiscipline forced them to defend four-on-five for nearly six minutes in the first period, but the Jets eventually won 3-2.

Lowry's exploits might seem trivial, but everyone remembered them after the game.

“He's the kind of teammate he is, and that's why our penalty kill has been so good this year. Guys like him are totally committed to keeping the puck out of the net,” head coach Rick Bowness said of his assistant captain.

“He told me once he had already been a goalkeeper, and that if he had continued when he was a child, he could have had a good career as a goalkeeper. Me, I say it's nonsense, ”joked Pierre-Luc Dubois.

The Quebecer obviously had only good words for Lowry and his prowess. “He's doing everything he can for this team, everything he can for us to win.”

At 29 and in his ninth season with the Jets, Adam Lowry is heading for a offensive top, he who has 25 points in his record in 54 games. His effectiveness rate, a stat reserved for goalkeepers, was not yet available.