Advertisement

OHL scoring leader Mitchell Marner collects 5 points in London Knights' win: Sunday's 3 Stars

Neate Sager
Marner has 108 points in 52 games (OHL Images)
Marner has 108 points in 52 games (OHL Images)

No. 1 star: Mitchell Marner, London Knights (OHL)

It's like Marner had a scoreless first period just to give himself a challenge. The Ontario Hockey League scoring leader tallied five points in the final 35 minutes of the Knights' 7-4 goalfest against the Sarnia Sting, giving him a mind-bending 108 in 52 games.

Marner (2G-3A, +1) got the Knights on the board by scoring on a setup from Arizona Coyotes prospect Max Domi (2G-1A, +1) just shy of the six-minute mark of the second period. The slippery 17-year-old scored a power-play goal later in the period to put the Knights ahead for the first time.

Pavel Zacha scored two quick goals early in the third to restore the Sting lead. The Knights went back on top with back-to-back power-play goals, with Marner assisting on both. The Thornhill, Ont., native picked up his fifth point on an empty-net goal.

No. 2 star: Carter Verhaeghe, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)

Verhaeghe (2G-1A, +2) helped orchestrate a huge IceDogs comeback on the road for a 6-5 win against the North Bay Battalion. The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect banged in a rebound for the game-winner with 53 seconds to play, but did his most important work earlier in the third period.

Niagara trailed 4-1, but scored three power-play goals in fewer than four minutes to tie the game with 9:17 remaining. With 4:32 left, Verhaeghe finished off a passing play with Brendan Perlini (3A, +2) and Josh Ho-Sang (1A, +2) to give the IceDogs their first lead. New Jersey Devils draft pick Ryan Kujawinski re-tied the game with 2:40 left, but a breakdown in the Battalion's coverage left Verhaeghe open to score the winner.

No. 3 star: Evan Cormier, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

It's not often a team ends a losing skid in the final game of a 3-in-3 road trip, but Cormier's 30-save effort helped the Spirit win 3-1 against Kingston to end a seven-game losing skid. The 17-year-old goalie matched veteran Lucas Peressini save for save to keep Saginaw, one of the league's youngest teams, within striking distances. That paid off when two first-year players, Tye Felhaber and Devon Palliani, scored goals 1:52 apart early in the third to put Saginaw on the road to a much needed win.

Honourable mention:  Nikita Scherbak, Everett Silvertips (WHL)

Scherbak (1G-2A, +2) had three points in the opening 16 minutes of Everett's eventual 5-4 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes, which helped the 'Tips bounce back from being humbled 7-0 by Seattle on Saturday. The Montreal Canadiens first-rounder scored on a solo effort just 14 seconds into the game, then drew assists on goals by Dawson Leedahl and Patrick Bajkov.

Honourable mention: Valentin Zykov, Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)

Zykov (2G, +1) scored both 'Piques goals during a 2-1 upset of powerhouse Rimouski. The Los Angeles Kings second-rounder, who missed two months of the season due to hernia surgery, tied the game with a power-play goal in the second period and scored the game-winner with 7:28 left in the third period.

Potent notables — Pittsburgh Penguins second-rounder Tristan Jarry made 30 saves in Edmonton's 5-1 win against Medicine Hat ... In the OHL, New Jersey Devils signing Joseph Blandisi (4G-1A, +6) had a mortarboard trick during Barrie's 7-4 win against last-place Sudbury ... Defenceman Will Petschenig (1G-1A, +2) was first star as Oshawa beat Ottawa 5-3, ending the 67's seven-game win streak ... In the QMJHL, Danick Martel (1G-3A, +2) scored his 47th goal, while teammate Nikita Jevpalovs (2G-1A) potted his 43rd in Blainville-Boisbriand's 7-5 win against Shawinigan ...Philadelphia Flyers second-rounder Nicolas Aubé-Kubel scored his 30th during Val-d'Or's 6-0 blowout of Quebec.

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