Coaching against Brent Sutter, the man he worked as an assistant to for the previous three years, Lowry and his Victoria Royals fell just shy in a 3-2 shootout defeat as the local Western Hockey League team lost to the Red Deer Rebels.
鈥淲e鈥檒l take it; it鈥檚 a big point,鈥� said Lowry. 鈥淚 think you can put it in the books that it鈥檚 probably a point that we stole and moving forward, that鈥檚 a huge point for us.
鈥淔or us to come in here and play against one of the hottest teams in the league and get a point is good for us.鈥�
Shootout goals from Rhyse Dieno, Matt Bellerive and 16-year-old Conner Bleackley helped the surging Rebels to the win, snapping the Royals鈥� four-game road win streak.
Dieno and Bellerive had the regulation-time goals for the Rebels, who are now 10-1-0-1 since Sutter 鈥� the owner and general manager of the team 鈥� returned to the bench.
Lowry worked for Sutter with the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League the last three years before changes were made at the end of last season.
鈥淲e know each other鈥檚 tendencies,鈥� said Lowry. 鈥淚t鈥檚 probably easier for me because he was the head coach and I wasn鈥檛 running the bench. I had studied him for a long time so I knew what he was doing.鈥�
Unfortunately, there鈥檚 not much you can coach in a shootout.
Logan Nelson and Jack Walker, on his first-ever WHL goal, had forced overtime. Walker鈥檚 was set up by brother Ben Walker with 4:32 to go in the third period. Nelson and Steven Hodges scored in the shootout, but Bolton Pouliot stopped Brandon Magee on Victoria鈥檚 second shot.
Royals netminder Patrik Polivka couldn鈥檛 quite shut the door on the Rebels.
鈥淛ack鈥檚 been playing real well,鈥� Lowry said of the younger Walker, who has filled in as a winger, moving up from defence. 鈥淗e鈥檚 getting comfortable and obviously playing forward has been a bit of an adjustment for him.
鈥淏ut he鈥檚 played forward in minor hockey and in high school. He鈥檚 getting used to the pace,鈥� added Lowry.
The game featured two teams that are built on discipline and hard work, much like the two head coaches who, between them, played 36 seasons in the NHL 鈥� 19 for Lowry and 17 for Sutter.
鈥淒ave has a great knowledge of the game and he鈥檚 a creative guy,鈥� Sutter told Sportsnet.ca before to the game. 鈥淗is team will be very responsible. His team will be creative. He鈥檚 a guy that certainly is going to make sure he gets the most out of his players and he鈥檚 a very good coach.鈥�
The Royals conclude their three-game road trip in Edmonton tonight at 6 (Pacific time) against the defending WHL-champion Oil Kings. Victoria then disbands for the Christmas break and does not return to action until Dec. 28, when Prince George pays the Island a visit.
It will be the toughest test of the trip as well as the Oil Kings are 13-3-1-2 at home on Rexall Place ice, although the Rebels were no pushover either and now improve to 10-5-0-1 at home.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tough challenge for us, playing the defending league champs and it鈥檚 our last game before we head off for a break,鈥� said Lowry. 鈥淚f we want to be a top team we have to learn how to play in tough buildings.鈥�
