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Red Wings pick Anthony Mantha hits 40 goals with 5-point night: Friday’s 3 Stars

Kelly Friesen

No. 1 star: Anthony Mantha, Val d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)

For the amount of big games the Detroit Red Wings first-rounder has had this year, BTN may have to rename the 3 stars feature “Anthony Mantha’s night on the town” for the rest of his 19-year-old season.

Tonight, Mantha terrorized the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the Foreurs’ 6-3 victory. After setting up a Pierre-Maxime Poudrier (1G-1A, +3) marker in the opening frame, he notched his 40th goal on the year just over a minute into the second period. He went onto to set up two Louick Marcotte (2G-1A, +3) goals and another from Guillaume Gelinas (1G, +2). The five-point night gives the 6-foot-5, 204-pound winger 40 goals and 84 points in 38 games on the year – not bad for a guy who had 19 teams pass on him in last year’s NHL entry draft.

No. 2 star: Boston Leier, Regina Pats (WHL)

The Saskatoon native tamed the Prince George Cougars in a hurry. He got the ball rolling in the first period with an even-strength goal at the 8:33 mark. He later went to work on the man advantage by setting up a Dyson Stevenson (1G-1A, +1) goal and potting his second of the night to give the Pats a 5-0 lead after the first 20 minutes. Following a scoreless second period, Leier completed his hat trick seven minutes into the final frame to give him a four-point night in the 8-0 shellacking.

Calgary Flames first-rounder Morgan Klimchuk (1G-3A, +2), Washington Capitals prospect Chandler Stephenson (1G-2A, +3) and 19-year-old goalie Dawson MacAuley (22-save shutout) didn’t do too bad on the stats sheet themselves.

No. 3 star: Travis Konecny, Ottawa 67's (OHL)

The 16-year-old centre put in a valiant third period effort that almost erased a three-goal deficit against the Mississauga Steelheads. He kicked off the final frame by setting up an Erik Bradford goal at the 9:27 mark. Konecny went onto to score two goals, including a power-play marker with less than three minutes left in the game, but it was too little too late as the 67’s fell 4-3.

The 5-foot-10, 166-pound centre, who was selected first overall in the 2013 OHL priority draft, leads all OHL rookies in points with 16 goals and 47 points in 41 games. Albeit Erie Otters star Connor McDavid came into the league as an underage, Konecny could top the 66-point season he posted last year as a rookie.

Honourable mention: Eric Comrie, Tri-City Americans (WHL)

The Winnipeg Jets prospect stole the Americans a win against the Seattle Thunderbirds. He stopped 37 of 38 pucks while his teammates only put 22 shots on net at the other end of the ice in the 3-1 contest. Up 2-0 after two periods, Comrie stood on his head in the final 20 minutes by turning aside 17 of 18 shots. He has now only allowed three goals in his last four games, stopping 140 shots along the way.

Potent notables - Tampa bay Lightning prospect Jonathan Drouin potted a goal and two assists for the Halifax Mooseheads in a 4-1 win over the Chicoutimi Sagueeneens… Sherbrooke Phoenix sniper Jean-Christophe Laflamme scored two goals in a 4-1 victory against the Charlottetown Islanders… Rimouski Oceanic puck-stopper Oliver Tremblay posted a 23-save shutout in a 4-0 win over the Shawinigan Cataractes… Carter Verhaeghe and Anthony DiFruscia notched two goals and one assist apiece to put the Niagara IceDogs over the Erie Otters 4-3… NHL draft prospect Michael DalColle led the Oshawa Generals over the Peterborough Petes with a goal and two helpers in the 6-1 affair… Josh Ho-Sang racked up three apples in the Windsor Spitfires’ 5-2 win against the Sault Ste. Marie Grey Hounds… Guelph Storm veteran Brock McGinn’s two goals were the difference in a 4-2 victory over the Owen Sound Attack… Jordan DeKort turned aside 29 of 30 shots in the Kitchener Rangers’ 5-1 win against the Plymouth Whalers… Jay Merkley (1G-1A) was in on both of the Swift Current Broncos’ regulation goals in a 3-2 shootout loss against the Prince Albert Raiders… Red Deer Rebels goalie Patrik Bartosak stopped 42 of 44 pucks in a 3-2 win over the Saskatoon Blades… Victoria Royals rookie Tyler Soy notched a goal and two assists in a 7-2 victory against the Kamloops Blazers… Rourke Chartier (1G-2A, +3) and Madison Bowey (1G-2A, +2) led the Kelowna Rockets over the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 6-2 affair… Brendan Leipsic (1G-2A, +4) and Nicolas Petan (2G-1A, +4) did the same for the Portland Winterhawks in a 5-1 win over the Everett Silvertips... Vancouver Giants 19-year-old forward Dalton Sward scored twice in an ugly 10-0 win against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen