Nikolaj Ehlers' 4 points for Halifax, Mitchell Marner's 5 for London lead Saturday's 3 Stars
No. 1 star: Nikolaj Ehlers, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
Don't worry, Canada, Team Denmark is in the other pool for the world junior championship. The Dashing Dane helped Halifax score an 8-2 win over Rimouski Océanic, who have three players in consideration for the national junior team. Ehlers (1G-3A, +2) opened the scoring with a wraparound goal in the first period, then dismantled Rimouski's defence with three helpers by the end of the second period, including two that came against the line of Toronto Maple Leafs first-rounder Frédérik Gauther (1G, -3), a potential returnee for the national team. Rimouski had Philadelphia Flyers first-rounder Samuel Morin back from missing several weeks with a facial fracture, apparently to no avail.
No. 2 star: Mitchell Marner, London Knights (OHL)
Marner (3G-2A, +1) became the second 20-goal man in the OHL while getting his fourth hat trick of the still-young season during an 8-2 Knights rout over the Windsor Spitfires. The 17-year-old and collaborator Max Domi (2G-2A, +1) made short work of the rebuildong Spits, who were playing their first game since moving overage Chris Marchese to Guelph on Friday.
Marner had a power-play and a short-handed goal within the contest's first 8½ minutes, rapping in a cross-crease feed from Domi and then chasing down a clear-out that ricocheted into the middle of the ice to score on a breakaway. After that it just became 'point night' for London, with Marner finishing with five for the second night in a row to give him 44 in 23 games.
No. 3 star: Eric Comrie, Tri-City Americans (WHL)
Make it a double for Winnipeg Jets prospects. Comrie stopped 55-of-57 shots during the Ams' 2-1 loss to the Spokane Chiefs. Spokane actually got its lone two goals nine seconds apart in the second period off a Tri-City turnover and a quick play off the enusing centre-ice faceoff. Otherwise, the 19-year-old Comrie was impregnable, making a superb skate save on 16-year-old Kailer Yamamoto in the first period while also turning back 18 third-period shots to maintain a one-goal spread. The outing gave Comrie a 2.38 average and .922 save percentage.
Honourable mention: Wyatt Hoflin, Kootenay Ice (WHL)
Hoflin was mercy-pulled the last time he faced the Medicine Hat Tigers, but bounced back with a 48-save shutout in a 3-0 win over one of the Dub's most potent squads. The Spruce Grove, Alta., native kicked out 20 shots in the first and 21 in the third to frustrate the Tigers and help Kootenay get a win without having to rely excessively on Buffalo Sabres first-round pick Sam Reinhart (1A, +1).
Honourable mention: Samuel Girard, Shawinigan Cataracters (QMJHL)
The 16-year-old Girard (1G-2A, +2), one of the Q's best rookie defenceman, had a big night as Shawinigan shocked Moncton 6-1. Girard struck for a goal that opened a 3-0 lead in the second while he and 17-year-old forwards James Phelan (1G-3A, +4) and Dennis Yan (3A, +4) were matched against St. Louis Blues draft pick Ivan Barbashev, who's been averaging two points per game for nearly a month.
Potent notables — Veteran Tim McGauley (2G-1A, +2) had the OT winner for Brandon against Edmonton ... Brett Lernout (3G, +3) had a hat trick in his defence spot as Swift Current beat last-place Saskatoon in overtime ... In the OHL, Detroit Red Wings prospect Zach Nastasiuk (2A) had two third-period primary assists in Owen Sound's comeback over Belleville ... Carolina Hurricanes prospect Alex Nedeljkovic had a 43-of-44 night in goal in Plymouth's 2-1 win over Niagara ... Dylan Strome (2G, +3) moved into a share of the scoring lead with injured teammate Connor McDavid during Erie's win at Saginaw ... Seventeen-year-old Travis Konecny (1G-3A, -1) had a season-high four points in Ottawa's win over Eastern Ontario rival Kingston ... In the QMJHL, Spenser Cobbold's OT winner gave Charlottetown a 3-2 decision over Saint John for its fifth consecutive win ... Ottawa Senators prospect Francis Perron (1G-2A, +1) and Mathieu Boucher (1G-2A, +2) helped Rouyn-Noranda down host Quebec 6-4.
Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.
