Sometimes you have to tip your cap to the other guy.
The Guelph Storm, perhaps begrudgingly, did that Friday night, recognizing the outstanding effort turned in by Mississauga Steelheads rookie goaltender Jack Ivankovic who backstopped the Steelheads to a 3-2 win over the home side at the Sleeman Centre.
Ivankovic, the seventh overall pick in this year's OHL draft, made 35 saves in the win.
"We played him in the pre-season too and he stood on his head that time and he stood on his head this time, so I definitely give him a lot of credit," said Storm sniper Max Namestnikov, who scored his first of the season late in Friday's game.
"But it's not more about their goalie, it's about our start. I think we really came out slow tonight. We weren't ready and we weren't prepared. We made that goalie look good from the start," Namestnikov said.
That slow start included a sputtering power play that failed to score on four chances early in the game.
"You've really got to take advantage (of power plays) to get the guys going," Namestnikov said.
Storm netminder Brayden Gillespie, making his fifth consecutive start, did his best to keep his team in it with a 23-save showing. One of the Steelheads goals was tipped in front and another came on a power play.
"Both goaltenders were fantastic," said Storm coach Chad Wiseman. "We put some shots maybe a little high on him early on and he's got good hands and good gloves.
"You know what you get with Brayden. He's rock solid for us, he always is," Wiseman said. "He gave us an opportunity to, one, stay in the game, and two, potentially win the game."
Mississauga scored once in each of the first two periods, both by defenceman Chas Sharpe, before Guelph made things very interesting in the third.
After Alex MacDonell made it 3-0, Namestnikov put some life into the crowd of 4,709 when he got Guelph on the board, his first of the year on the power play, at the 9:17 mark.
Braeden Bowman set the stage for an exciting finish when he polished off a nifty feed from Jake Karabela with 7:19 left on the clock.
But that was all Ivankovic was going to allow, despite lots of late pressure that included a Guelph power play for the final 22 seconds of the game.
"I just don't think we started on time today," said Wiseman, echoing the sentiments of Namestnikov.
"I thought we had a great second half of the game and maybe even deserved a better fate ... but if you don't start on time it's tough to climb out of that hole."
Wiseman said he effort was there, there was just a lack of execution, particularly on the power play.
The Storm hits the road for a game in Flint Saturday night. Import rookie Damian Slavik will get his first start of the season in net in that one, said Wiseman.
Friday they host the Barrie Colts.
