Erie Otters' Dylan Strome has four-point night: Thursday's OHL 3 Stars

No. 1 star: Dylan Strome, Erie Otters (OHL)

Strome moved within three points of the scoring lead after notching four during the 7-4 Otters road victory against the Windsor Spitfires. With Erie locked into a second playoff seed and the Spitfires eliminated, the teams played river hockey for stretches of night, trading eight goals through the first 40 minutes.

The sophomore centre, who's vying to be a top-5 NHL draft pick, got started with his 40th goal of the season 4:30 into the second period. Strome (1G-3A, +2) had the second assist later in the frame on a tic-tac-toe scoring play that included Connor McDavid (3A, +1) and Alex DeBrincat (2G-1A, +2).

Strome showed great hands in the third, slipping a short pass to DeBrincat for the game-winner with 8:35 to go. Minutes later, Strome recovered his own rebound and centred to Buffalo Sabres prospect Nick Baptiste for the clincher.

London's Mitchell Marner has 124 points entering his final game. Strome and McDavid have 121 and 118 with Erie having two to play.

No. 2 star: Ray Huether, North Bay Battalion (OHL)

The third line of Huether (1G-1A, +3) and his wingers Brett McKenzie (1G-1A, +3) and Mathew Santos (1G-1A, +3) set a tone as North Bay defeated the Ottawa 67's 5-2 to all but wrap up the No. 3 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. Huether was named first star. The overage centre, who turned 21 earlier this week, scored the night's first goal as North Bay took a 3-2 lead through 20. In the second, he took a well-placed shot on a 3-on-2 rush that kicked right out to McKenzie, who eluded a tie-up from defenceman Taylor Davis and tucked the rebound home. 

That two-goal lead was more than enough cushion for North Bay. Goalie Jake Smith (22 saves) made a sprawling arm save on Nathan Todd in the third period that squelched Ottawa's chance to forge a comeback.

No. 3 star: Greg Betzold, Peterborough Petes (OHL)

Betzold (2G-1A, +2) helped the Petes clinch a playoff spot by defeating the Sudbury Wolves 4-2 in their home finale. The 19-year-old scored the first Peterborough goal in the second off a setup from Carolina Hurricanes-drafted defenceman Kyle Jenkins. The teams were tied 2-2 with 38.7 seconds left when Betzold helped the Petes pressure the Wolves, as he drew an assist on a seeing-eye game-winner by overage Josh McDonald (1G-1A, +2). The two reversed roles seconds later, with Betzold burying the empty-net goal.

Honourable mention: Jordan Maletta, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)

Maletta had the late third-period tying goal and the decisive tally in the breakaway contest, vaulting the IceDogs to a 4-3 shootout win against the Barrie Colts and to within one point of Ottawa for first-round home-ice advantage.

The IceDogs were at risk of a costly home loss with 12 minutes left after Cordell James intercepted a pass on the penalty kill, made a great move around Vince Dunn and scored Barrie's second short-handed goal of the night for a 3-2 lead. With 6:26 left, Dunn got the puck to the goal, where Maletta located it and jammed it home to force overtime.

Neither team could convert in the first seven rounds of the shootout, but both came through in the eighth, with Cody Payne keeping Niagara extant with a slick backhand-shelf tally against Mackenzie Blackwood. In the ninth, after a Brandon Hope save, Maletta tested Blackwood with a wrist shot that trickled through the goalie's pads for the decider.

Ottawa (77 points) completes the season against Peterborough and Sudbury, while the IceDogs (76) face Mississauga and Erie.

Potent notables — Dallas Stars prospect Remi Elie scored his 30th for Erie ... Rookie goalie Dylan Wells made 33 saves for the Petes.

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