Salem's Brody Chisholm scores despite the efforts of Bishop Guertin goalie Luke Bettencourt and defenseman Mike Ponto during Wednesday's Division I season opener at the Salem Icenter. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

SALEM – Bad start, and an even worse finish.

That was the case for the Bishop Guertin High School boys hockey team on Wednesday in its season opener vs. the Salem Blue Devils at the Icenter. The Cards gave up a goal in the first 10 seconds, but then gave up the game winner at 3:17 of sudden death overtime in a 5-4 loss.

And that game winner off a rebound of his own shot by Salem’s Gavin Douhty came after BG’s Jordan Delude sent the game to overtime with a goal with just 18 seconds left in regulation.

“Real bad start, real bad finish,” BG coach Gary Bishop said. “A good second period, so-so third, we had to tie it up with (18) seconds left.

“In the second period we outshot them 17-3, and then in the third we took the foot off the pedal.”

Still, the Cards showed some resolve in battling back from1-0, 3-1, and 4-3 deficits. Yet they never led.

The end came when Doughty put a move on the BG defense at his own blue line and skated down with the puck on a 2-on-0. Instead of a pass, he put a shot on BG goalie Luke Bettencourt, who made the initial save but couldn’t corral the rebound sprawled on the ice as the puck was lifted over him. Game over.

“They’re pretty resilient, a hard-working group,” Devils coach Mark McGinn said.

“It was a great game, you know, kind of back and forth, first game of the year. We were kind of opportunistic today, too.”

The game – and the season – started with Salem’s Elliot Chisholm beating BG starting goalie Conor Hayes just 10 seconds in. Guertin tied it on Noah Cordiero’s goal, assisted by Cam Auger, nearly five minutes later. But the Blue Devils got goals by Chisholm again (7:23) and Max Condon’s shot from the point two minutes later that chased Hayes (seven saves) in favor of Bettencourt (22 stops).

But the Cards, as Bishop said, owned the second period, getting goals 51 seconds apart by Jordan O’Hearn (Jack Menicci assist, 10:05) and then James Mantone on the power play (Gavin Santos, Dom Trepanier assists). A third goal in the period shortly after from the point was disallowed.

But midway through the third Salem’s Brody Chisholm fought his way down low to give the Devils a 4-3 lead until Delude’s late goal in a frenzy in front of Salem goalie Lincoln Freitas.

“They really took it to us in the second period,” McGinn said. “They (the Devils) came out in the third and bounced back.”

“We didn’t play well defensively,” Bishop said. “Not to make excuses, but on this big rink (Olympic size), the ‘D’ has to play a totally different game. They were trying to strike, and in this rink you don’t strike, you back off in your zone.”

Salem’s Gavn Doughty looks to pounce on a rebound after the initial save by BG goalie Luke Bettencourt during OT in Wednesday’s Division I season opener for both at the Salem Icenter. Doughty scored to give the Blue Devils a 5-4 win. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Salem’s Gavn Doughty looks to pounce on a rebound after the initial save by BG goalie Luke Bettencourt during OT in Wednesday’s Division I season opener for both at the Salem Icenter. Doughty scored to give the Blue Devils a 5-4 win. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

The Cards at times were frustrated offensively.

“McGinn’s a good coach,” Bishop said. “He knows he’s outmatched, so what does he so – he throws it out (of the zone), throws it out. And you make a mistake, and it’s boom-boom-boom. Giving the a (two) goal lead early didn’t help us.”

But the Cards battled back, which Bishop liked.

“It shows they can come from behind,” he said. “That’s all positive. When you put yourself in a hole early in the game, it’s tough to come back.”

Come back they did, but just didn’t finish.

“They’ll figure it out,” Bishop said.