It was almost a perfect day for Danny Zhilkin. Almost.
The Guelph Storm forward returned from a three-game suspension Friday night and scored a goal, hours after inking an NHL contract with the Winnipeg Jets. But it wasn't quite enough, as the Storm fell 3-2 to the Windsor Spitfires in a well-played affair at a sold-out Sleeman Centre.
"It was super surprising. I got a call from my agent at 10:30 p.m. (Thursday) night and he told me the news. I was super excited, it's a dream come true," the 19-year-old Zhilkin said of his contract.
A win would have been icing on the cake, but Zhilkin agreed the Storm still turned in a solid performance in defeat.
"I think for 55 minutes we played the game the right way. We're seeing a lot of progression in the team," Zhilkin said. "Their goalie played well. We just couldn't get it past him."
Windsor's Noah Morneau scored the game winner with 4:25 left in regulation, firing home the puck from the slot on a scramble in front of the Storm net.
It came 3:25 after Guelph's Cooper Walker had tied things up when he banged home his own rebound on a shorthanded breakaway.
Guelph had a power play late in the period and made it a six-on-four advantage with goaltender Brayden Gillespie pulled for the extra attacker, but couldn't get the equalizer.
It was a game that Guelph could have been up 4-1 after the opening 20 minutes instead of being down 1-0. There were posts hit, empty nets missed and several great saves by Windsor goaltender Joey Costanzo, who would deservedly be named the game's first star.
"I thought it was our best period of the season," Storm coach Chad Wiseman said of the opening period. "We controlled the pace of the game. We pushed the pace of the game and we generated lots of offence, but their goaltender played exceptionally well."
Wiseman felt his team deserved a better fate than a one-goal loss.
"I absolutely did. I thought our first two periods were fantastic. We would have liked to have a lead going into the third (it was tied 1-1), but that's hockey," Wiseman said.
"I thought we just got away from it in the third a little bit and cheated a few times, finding ourselves on the wrong side of the puck, and those little details just come back to bite you."
Wiseman said the team's improved play of late is a reflection of better habits and better attention to detail in practice, which translates into better performance in games.
"We can see the buy-in, starting with our leadership group ... when those guys start to buy-in, then we see some team success."
Guelph was without defenceman Cam Allen, who will be sidelined two to four weeks after suffering a mild shoulder separation Wednesday night in Windsor.
The Storm is in Barrie Saturday night, in London Tuesday, then home to Erie on Friday.
