Sarnia Sting’s Nikolay Goldobin, Nikita Korostelev each score pair in gutty road win: Thursday’s 3 Stars

No. 1 star: Nikolay Goldobin, Sarnia Sting (OHL)

The Sting's Russian delegation line of Goldobin (2G-1A, +4), 18-year-old alternate captain Daniel Nikandrov (1G-2A, +3) and 16-year-old Nikita Korostelev (2G-2A, +4) combined for 11 points in a 5-3 road win over North Bay. The Battalion had a 44-23 edge on the shot counter and let several gold-plated opportunities go for naught against the Sting's Taylor Dupuis, who had 41 visits in his northern Ontario homecoming.

Conversely, the Sting were opportunistic, as Goldobin earned first-star honours in the wake of being left off Russia's world junior preliminary roster. The 18-year-old dipsy-doodled around a defenceman to score the first Sting goal and got the second off a slap pass from Team USA-bound offensive defenceman Tony DeAngelo. In the third, Korostelev scored twice, including the winner with 1:49 left when he tucked the puck between goalie Jake Smith's foot and the post.

No. 2 star: Valentin Zykov, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)

Team Canada pick Charles Hudon (2G-1A, +1) helped stake the pesky Chicoutimi Saguenéens to a three-goal lead, but Baie-Comeau whittled away to win 4-3 on the road. Vykov (2G, +1), the 18-year-old Los Angeles Kings second-rounder, scored the second of goals 48 seconds apart midway through the second, drawing the Drakkar within one. Six minutes later, the former 40-goal scorer struck again to pull B-C level. Montreal Canadiens pick Jérémy Grégoire then ended a goal drought by scoring the game-winner.

No. 3 star: Louick Marcotte, Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)

A 19-year-old from Longueuil, Que., had a two-goal night in a Val-d'Or victory. No, not Anthony Mantha. Marcotte (2G, +2) scored the first two Foreurs goals during their 3-2 home win over Rimouski that was their ninth win in their last 11 tries. Mantha (2A, +2) factored into both tallies, which kept the table open before Anthony Beauregard scored the winner with 6:26 to play.

Honourable mention: Dane Fox, Erie Otters (OHL)

Fox (3G-1A, +2) had his second hat trick in seven days to move into a tie for the league scoring lead as Erie parried the Peterborough Petes 6-1 to kick off their three-game eastern swing. Fox tallied in the opening period off a setup from co-scoring leader Connor Brown (3A, +2), then struck late in the second and early in the third as the Otters switched into cruise control early.

Potent notables — Brody Milne, the 18-year-old forward Windsor added in the Kerby Rychel-Nick Ebert trade, scored in his Spitfires debut, a 5-3 win over Saginaw. Team Canada goalie Jake Paterson was relieved after the Spitfires scored on four of their first 15 shots ... Jonathan Drouin (2G-1A, +2) was first star in Halifax's 4-1 home win over Victoriaville. Chicago Blackhawks-drafted Tigres goalie Brandon Whitney, a Nova Scotia native, made 42 saves.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet. Please address any questions, comments or concerns to btnblog@yahoo.ca.