Tri-City Americans' Parker Bowles leads way in comeback over Blades: Thursday's 3 Stars

No. 1 star: Parker Bowles, Tri-City Americans (WHL)

Bowles (1G-2A, +1) came up big-time to help Tri-City improve to 3-for-4 on its six-game Eastern Conference road swing with a come-from-behind 5-3 win over the Saskatoon Blades.

The Blades, still seeking their first win under coach Bob Woods, started well with a 2-0 lead. The 19-year-old Bowles assisted on a Brian Williams power-play goal in the last minute of the first. After Saskatoon restored the two-goal edge, Bowles scored unassisted 8:48 into the second. Minutes later, the Kelowna, B.C. native won a faceoff, leading directly to a power-play tally by Parker Wotherspoon.

Tri-City made that stand up; backup goalie Evan Sarthou got the win while Winnipeg Jets netminding prospect Eric Comrie enjoyed a night off. It was the Tri-City franchise's first win in Saskatoon since 1996. Bear in mind that is only a 10-game span.

No. 2 star: Chris Marchese, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

Marchese (2G, +2) added another instalment to his comeback story, whipping in a wrist shot with 19.6 seconds left in the bonus session to give the Spitfires a 5-4 win over Peterborough in a chippy contest. The 20-year-old who missed all of last season got in position to take a soft pass from 19-year-old defenceman Trevor Murphy (3A, +2) and scored.

Marchese also counted with a goal from the doorstep in the opening frame.

Spitfires sophomore Ryan Foss (2G, -1) ended a season-opening drought by sniping two game-tying goals, including one 3:30 into the third period. Murphy also set up that tally.

No. 3 star: Giovanni Fiore, Shawinigan Cataractes  (QMJHL)

Fiore (2G-1A, +2) factored into all of the scoring to help the improving Cataractes score a 3-0 statement win over the powerhouse Rimouski Océanic. The 18-year-old wing from Laval, Que., scored the game's first goal on a feed from Sébastien Gauthier. Shawinigan, which outshot the Océanic 43-27, got two goals just more than three minutes apart early in the second. Fiore drew a helped on a Dennis Yan goal, then scored again on the power play. That was more than enough offensive support for overage goalie Marvin Cüpper.

Honourable mention: Keelan Williams, Kootenay Ice (WHL)

Williams had strong first start in an Ice uniform, stopping 35-of-38 shots to keep Kootenay in the hunt during a 3-1 road loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors. The Ice, playing the middle game of a 3-in-3 trip, only had 18 shots on goal, so needless to say their goaltender was probably their best player.

Potent notables — Owen Sound goalie Jack Flinn stopped 36-of-38 North Bay shots in a 3-2 overtime win over the Battalion. North Bay first-rounder Zach Poirier scored his first OHL goal ... Buffalo Sabres draft choice Eric Cornel scored two goals for Peterborough.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.