Medicine Hat Tigers’ Hunter Shinkaruk crowns Regina Pats: Saturday’s 3 Stars

No. 1 star: Hunter Shinkaruk, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

Him again? Shinkaruk (2G-2A, +2) helped Medicine Hat surmount the Regina Pats 5-4 at home despite the fact the visitors were able to create a grinding pace for long stretches, which is hardly ideal for a skilled player. The potential NHL first-round pick, who had six points in his hometown of Calgary on Friday, scored a spinnerama goal in the first and also teed up defenceman Dylan Busenius for a second-period strike that gave the Tigers their first lead.

The table was still open with a 3-3 tie through two periods, but Medicine Hat drew confidence from Shinkaruk's second of the night 59 seconds into the third; he also set up Trevor Cox's eventual game-winner with 2:30 left. It was the Tigers' third win in a row.

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No. 2 star: Jonathan Drouin, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

The 17-year-old's hat trick led the Herd to their 12th consecutive win, a 6-2 decision over the Chicoutimi Saguenéens. The Mooseheads spotted the Sags a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes — the equivalent of that annoying guy at the gym who skips rope wearing a weight vest because just skipping rope isn't challenging enough — before Drouin (3G, +2) and the game's second star Nathan MacKinnon (1G-1A) took over the game.

Drouin's hatty included a goal 69 seconds into the second frame that started the Mooseheads on the road back, plus the game-winner 1:54 into the final frame. He's off to a brilliant start, with 10 goals and 22 points in nine games. Also, the way he and MacKinnon moved the puck around on this power play was practically worth this price of admission.

No. 3 star: Zach Hall, Barrie Colts (OHL)

Hall showed that he has one of the quickest releases in the OHL by scoring a hat trick in Barrie's 4-1 win over divisional rival Niagara. Barrie struggled offensively on Thursday when Hall was scratched with the flu, but he promptly provided a home remedy. The Belleville, Ont.. native rifled home a Mark Scheifele feed for Barrie's first goal, tipped in a point shot for his second and found a sliver of space late in the third to rip home Josh MacDonald's centring feed for the sealer.

The big night moved Hall, 19, to only one point behind Scheifele for the league scoring lead.

Honourable mention: Garrett Meurs, Plymouth Whalers (OHL)

Meurs (2G, +1) gave Plymouth its fifth win in a row by scoring off the rush 37 seconds into overtime for a 2-1 win over the rival Kitchener Rangers. Off a defensive zone faceoff, the Colorado Avalanche selection won a puck battle and carried in deep before wiring a shot by Rangers goalie Franky Palazzese, who blanked the other 17 Whaler skaters. Meurs is that classic two-way player who seems to be needed to encouraged to take more shots; he now has eight in 13 games.

Honourable mention: Craig Leverton, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)

Leverton, the pride of Debden, Saskatchewan (pop. 348), scored his first two goals this season to help the 'Cane Train roll to a 4-1 win over the Swift Current Broncos. Lethbridge, which earned its sixth win in its last eight games, had a setback after Winnipeg Jets prospect Adam Lowry erased an early lead with a second-period short-handed goal. But Leverton and fellow 17-year-olds Jamal Watson and Macoy Erkamps collaborated to quickly restore Lethbridge's lead. Watson also set up Leverton's next goal just more than five minutes later.

Honourable mention: Stefan Matteau, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)

The New Jersey Devils first-rounder was suspended two games earlier this week for cross-checking an opponent from behind, but he totally redeemed himself with a three-point night in B-B's 7-1 beatdown of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. That's the sort of production the Armada are expecting from Matteau, who was the game's second star after scoring twice and notching an apple. Fellow 18-year-old Christopher Clapperton also had a three-point night and copped first-star honours.

Honourable mention: Alex Saulnier, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)

Saulnier (1G-3A, +2) helped the 'Cats overcome strong goaltending from the Sherbrooke Phoenix's Jack Flinn by factoring into all scoring in the 4-3 overtime win. The overage centre from Cap-Pelé, N.B., and his twin Allain Saulnier (3A, +2) set up a heartbreaking winner by James Melindy with six seconds left in overtime and also helped Moncton go 2-for-5 on the power play.

Potent notables — Kamloops Blazers centre Colin Smith (2G-1A vs. Victoria) ran his multi-point game streak to eight. He's had at least one in all 15 games for 14-0-0-1 Kamloops, as he's second in WHL scoring with 35 points between his right wing, JC Lipon (37), and his left wing, Tim Bozon (27) ... Red Deer captain Tanner Elson marked his 200th WHL game with two goals in the Rebels' 4-3 shootout win over Calgary ... Prince Albert Raiders rookie Leon Draisaitl celebrated his 17th birthday with a three-assist, plus-3 effort in a win over rival Moose Jaw; P.A. was also paced by Dallas Stars second-rounder Mike Winther's second career hat trick ... Brandon Wheat Kings goalie Curtis Honey kicked out 46-of-48 shots to help the Wheaties cadge a point in a shootout loss at Prince George ... In the OHL, 15-year-old Connor McDavid (1G-1A, +2) ran his point streak to 14 games, although the Erie Otters lost 5-2 to Sarnia ... Boston Bruins first-rounder Malcolm Subban recorded a 31-save, 1-0 shutout for Belleville against rival Kingston ... Nikita Serebryakov, the Saginaw Spirit's Russian rookie who does not turn 17 until Thursday, stopped 47-of-50 shots in a 3-1 loss at Peterborough ... Continuing with the hot-goalie theme, Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Garret Sparks (42 saves, plus 5-for-5 on shootout attempts) helped Guelph win 4-3 in extra time at London. Bruins pick Seth Griffith (2G-1A) was in on all Knights scoring ... St. Louis Blues draftee Jordan Binnington, who should merit Team Canada consideration, also handled 34-of-35 shots to help Owen Sound beat Sudbury 3-1. Dallas Stars selection Gemel Smith ran his point streak to eight by assisting on the empty-netter with five seconds left ... In the QMJHL, Rouyn-Noranda's Jean-Sébastien Dea moved into the scoring lead with 31 points after notching a one-goal, two-assist night in the Huskies' win over Rimouski. Second-leading scorer Sven Andrighetto and teammate Gabriel Desjardins each had three points, too.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet (video: John Moore).