Big nights for league-leading scorers Mantha, Brown, Holmberg – Wednesday’s 3 Stars

No. 1 Star - Anthony Mantha, Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)

On the eve of the Canada's national junior camp opening in Toronto, Anthony Mantha tried his best to cement his case. He's been projected up and down the lineup, clearly with the talent (and chemistry, with Jonathan Drouin and Charles Hudon) to play on the first line, but he was also brought up as candidate for the final forward cut on Toronto radio Wednesday afternoon by TSN's Bob McKenzie.

How could you not bring Mantha? He led the Foreurs to a 6-3 win over one of the top teams in the nation. The reeling Blainville-Boisbriand Armada may be without their entire top line, but their chief talent this season has been preventing goals and the Foreurs rattled off six goals against the Q's stingiest club.

That's eight straight for the Foreurs. Mantha, leading the Q in scoring by a wide margin, had two goals and two assists, scoring a minute into the game and again on the powerplay with 3:03 to go in the first period. Val-d'Or are still struggling at the gate, managing to attract just 1,652 fans to watch two of the top teams in the league collide. Despite the anonymity, the Red Wings prospect Mantha has been getting it done. He has 73 points in 35 games, and registered a point in 22 consecutive contests, shut out only once this year in Charlottetown on Oct. 17.

No. 2 Star - Connor Brown, Erie Otters (OHL)

Pick your poison. Erie continued to roll, crushing Mississauga 9-1 Wednesday night with three different players (Brendan Gaunce, Michael Curtis, Dane Fox) scoring twice. The Otters came out flying, outscoring Missy 6-1 in the first period and out-shooting them 21-4.

You could go with any Otter tonight, but in the end it was Toronto prospect Connor Brown with three assists. It was that dominant of a performance, and consistent with what we've seen out of Erie recently. That's seven consecutive wins since the Gaunce trade (for a total of eight straight—they beat Guelph in their last game before the acquisition) and have out-scored the opposition 43-9. Those are some video game numbers right there. Probably best for the Otters to bank some wins before losing half their roster to Mälmo later this month, but they're a juggernaut right now, definitely for real, and should be a force in the second half.

Brown continues to lead the OHL in scoring over teammate Fox, and opened up a two-point cushion Wednesday by virtue of recording one more point against the Maple Fish.

No. 3 Star - Mitch Holmberg, Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

I tend to avoid putting overage players in the 3 Stars, but it was tough to avoid tonight thanks to the potential of having all three league's top-scoring players represented. The WHL entrant is Mitch Holmberg, the high-scoring Sherwood Park, Alta., native with two goals and an assist for Spokane's big win over Everett.

Holmberg opened the scoring with 4:05 remaining in the first period. The game was tied at 3s going into the third and Holmberg got an assist on a Mike Aviani tally with 3:48 to go to put the Chiefs up by a goal. He also recorded the empty-net clincher with 22 seconds left on the clock.

The overagers Holmberg and Aviani have combined for a disproportionate number of Spokane goals. Holmberg has 35 and Aviani has 24, for a total of 59. The Chiefs have scored 119 goals, meaning they've earned 60 from all other sources. Holmberg is now four points ahead of Winnipeg Jets prospect Nic Petan in the WHL scoring chase.

Honourable Mention - Cole Ully, Kamloops Blazers (WHL) - For the sentimentalist in all of us… while Val-d'Or and Erie continued their big win streaks Wednesday, the Kamloops Blazers finally snapped an 0-11-1-1 drought that lasted longer than a month with a 4-3 shootout win over the Regina Pats. Dallas Stars prospect Cole Ully scored a goal and had a couple of helpers, including on the go-ahead goal by Matt Needham with 53 seconds to go that looked like it had clinched the game for the Blazers. Boston Leier scored his second for the Pats just 13 seconds later, forcing Kamloops to win in a shootout on Jesse Shynkaruk's tally in the second round.

While Blazer goalie Taran Kozun gave up a tying goal with 35 seconds on the clock, it should be noted that he played rather well, stopping 39 of 42 shots, plus all three in the shootout to secure his first win since Sept. 27. The Blazers hadn't won since Nov. 5.

Potent Notables: Habs prospect Charles Hudon had two assists in Chicoutimi's win over the Shawi … Overage Barclay Goodrow scored twice, got an assist, and was +3 for North Bay in the Soo … Stoney Creek, Ont.'s Luke Cairns had four points against Plymouth for Saginaw… in the WHL, two goals for Myles Bell as Kelowna continues to roll with a win in Moose Jaw… lots of scoring in Prince Albert's 7-5 loss to Edmonton: Leon Draisaitl had three points for the home side, but Curtis Lazar and Mitch Moroz each had two goals for the Oil Kings.