Portland's Oliver Bjorkstrand up to 52 goals in 50 games: Friday's 3 Stars

No. 1 star: Oliver Bjorkstrand, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

One of these nights, Bjorkstrand might actually not score a goal, but there appears to be no stopping the Columbus Blue Jackets prospect. Bjorkstrand  (4G, +5) hit 52 goals in 50 games after scoring the mortarboard trick during the Portland Winterhawks' 7-1 road win against the Seattle Thunderbirds, their prospective first-round playoff opponent.

Bjorkstrand needed fewer than three minutes to extend his goal skein to 12 games, scoring 2:53 in on a setup from  . The native of Herning, Denmark, hit the big five-oh for the second year in a row 10:51 into the second, sniping short side top shelf after taking a pass from Winnipeg Jets' Nic Petan (4A, +3).

The potent pair connected fewer than two minutes later for Bjorkstrand's hat trick goal and again with 6:03 left in the third, as Bjorkstrand found a hole behind goalie Logan Flodell. Bjorkstrand is now only six games away from tying Cliff Ronning's record of scoring in 18 in a row, which was set more than 30 years ago. Petan also has 17 assists in Portland's last five games, five on goals by Bjorkstrand.

Bjorkstrand is the WHL's first 50-in-50 scorer since Medicine Hat's Emerson Etem (51 in his first 50 games) in 2011-12.

No. 2 star: Troy Timpano, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)

Timpano came back from missing two weeks due to illness to post his second shutout of the season, turning aside 31 shots to back last-place Sudbury to its 11th win in 62 tries with a 3-0 verdict over the Belleville Bulls. The 17-year-old netminder has endured some long nights while playing for a rebuilding team, but the Wolves played a tight defensive game and allowed their goalie to flourish.

“It was a great return,” Wolves coach David Matsos told the Sudbury Star. “I thought he [Timpano] looked really square tonight. He managed pucks great, he killed plays. Pucks were coming in from the side and he was able to deflect them up in the mesh.

No. 3 star: Nikita Jevpalovs, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)

The San Jose Sharks signing came through with a hat trick as B-B beat the Quebec Remparts 5-2 to stay close in the race for first overall. Jevpalovs (3G, +4) set Quebec back by getting a shorthanded icebreaker while the Armada were killing off a first-minute double minor to Danick Martel. The Latvian overage scored a go-ahead goal 10:27 into the second, then got his 46th of the season by scoring an empty-netter with 1:01 remaining.

Honourable mention: Pius Suter, Guelph Storm (OHL)

Suter (2G-1A, +3), who has been one of the OHL's most improved players, factored in all Storm scoring during the 3-1 win over Owen Sound Attack in a potential playoff preview. The Swiss sophomore tied the game in the second period, then scored an unassisted short-handed goal 19 seconds into the third to put the Storm ahead to stay. Suter also set up the empty-net clincher, as Guelph opened a five-point lead over Owen Sound for fourth place in the Western Conference and home-ice advantage. The Attack have two games in hand.

Potent notables — Phliadelphia Flyers signing Tyrell Goulbourne (3G-1A, +2) scored a third-period hat trick in Kelowna's 5-2 win against reeling Vancouver, while teammate Leon Draisaitl scored for the seventh consecutive game ... Reid Gardiner (2A, +2) was first star as Prince Albert beat Eastern Conference-leading Brandon for the second time in a row, prevailing 5-2 ... Blake Barger marked his 17th birthday by scoring his first WHL goal In Moose Jaw's 3-2 win over Swift Current ... Taylor Cooper (1G-2A, -1) scored his 25th during Regina's 6-4 road win against Edmonton ... Rookie Carter Hart made 21 saves in Everett's 1-0 shutout against Tri-City ... In the OHL, Anthony DeAngelo (3A, +1) led Sault Ste. Marie to a 5-4 win against his former team, Sarnia ... Darby Llewellyn (1G-2A, +2) helped Kitchener beat Windsor 5-4 in a shootout to end a five-game losing streak. Spitfires defenceman Jaden Chatfield scored his first OHL goal ...  In the QMJHL, Philadelphia Flyers prospect Nicolas Aubé-Kubel (1G-1A, +2) copped first-star honours during Val-d'Or's win against Baie-Comeau ... St. Louis Blues prospect Ivan Barbashev scored his 40th in Moncton's 4-3 win against Cape Breton ... Victoriaville's Angelo Miceli notched his 35th and Drummondville's Joey Ratelle buried his 30th.

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