Saturday’s 3 Stars: Calgary Flames prospect Sven Bartschi doesn’t need puck luck to score four

No. 1 star: Sven Bärtschi, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

Bärtschi's pretty nice little Saturday — four goals in a 7-3 Winterhawks win over Seattle — actually started off inauspiciously. The 19-year-old Swiss star hit a post and a crossbar before going on to record the mortarboard trick. Bärtschi got his first goal by forcing a neutral-ice turnover and going in to beat Seattle goalie Calvin Pickard with a backhand on a breakaway and got his second with a nifty fake pass/snap shot from the top of the circle. On his last two goals, Bärtschi set up teammates for scoring chances and ended up knocking in rebounds.

The big game, Bärtschi's second hat trick of the season, gave him 92 points in just 46 games, an even two per contest. With star players almost assured to miss part of the regular season due to extended stays with NHL teams and the IIHF under-20 championship, isn't it time the scoring title went by points per game instead of total points? (Western Hockey League scoring leader Brendan Shinnimin averages 1.92, if you are wondering.)

No. 2 star: Chandler Stephenson, Regina Pats (WHL)

Stephenson and the Pats won the Lotto 6:49 draw on Saturday. Regina pulled off a huge comeback win over rival Brandon, scoring five goals in a six-minute, 49-second span of the third period to stun the Wheat Kings 6-4. Stephenson, 17, was right in the middle of the Queen City kids' comeback with three goals and one assist. He and Los Angeles Kings prospect Jordan Weal set up Lane Scheidl 3:27 into the third period to get Regina rolling. Stephenson also scored five minutes later to pare Brandon's lead to 4-3, then he scored the game-winner just 10 seconds after Dyson Stevenson had tied the score. With the win, the Pats leapfrogged the Wheaties for seventh place in the WHL's Eastern Conference.

No. 3 star: Kyle Morrison, Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)

Morrison, who joined the 'Piques this season as a 19-year-old rookie after playing for the Junior A St. Michael's Buzzers for two seasons, had a career night with a hat trick plus one assist in Gatineau's 8-2 drilling of Drummondville. The Mississauga, Ont., native was slowed earlier in the season by a concussion, but he's looked strong of late for Gatineau. Apparently, it all came together for both he and linemates Tomas Hyka and Rock Régimbald, since they combined for 11 points. Morrison's first two goals were timely, as he opened a 3-1 lead for Gatineau midway through the second period and then got a goal early in the third that opened a four-goal lead.

Honourable mention: Kevin Bailie, Oshawa Generals (OHL)

Bailie made 41 saves in one of the Generals' biggest wins of the season, a 5-1 road win over the Barrie Colts that significantly improved their playoff position. His biggest save came when he robbed Gregg Sutch from point-blank range on a chance that seemed like such a sure goal the the Barrie Molson Centre goal judge flicked the light on as a reflex. Meantime, the Generals showed no ill effects from having their star forward, New York Rangers second-rounder Christian Thomas, out of the lineup. Captain Boone Jenner picked up the slack with two goals.

Honourable mention: Petr Mrazek, Ottawa 67's (OHL)

Even when it's the powerhouse London Knights, woe unto the team that faces the Mrazician after he had a shaky game against them in their previous meeting. Mrazek allowed five goals on 26 shots against London on Feb. 26, but on Saturday he was electric in stopping 39-of-40 shots to help Ottawa grind out a 2-1 road win over the league-leading Knights.

The Knights had pressure around the Detroit Red Wings prospect much of the night, but he came up with big saves and seemed to keep the Knights mentally off-balance, which might have accounted for why a lot of rebounds went skittering away from Knights' sticks. Mrazek made 29 of his stops across the last two periods. His perseverance was rewarded when star defenceman Cody Ceci scored the winner with 6:28 left.

Honourable mention: Freddie Hamilton, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)

The San Jose Sharks prospect and Buffalo Sabres draftee Steven Shipley each notched hat tricks during Niagara's 10-3 goring of the Belleville Bulls. Hamilton's first goal was probably what started the Bulls' unravelling, as he got open for a one-timer after Tom Kühnhackl stripped the puck from Belleville's Garrett Hooey inside the blueline.

After that, it just got out of hand. New York Islanders first-round pick Ryan Strome wound up racking up four assists. Actually, the most amazing Niagara statline might have come from Dougie Hamilton. Somehow, the top scoring defenceman in the OHL managed to only get one assist and be minus-1 in a game his team won by a touchdown.

Potent notables — Seventeen-year-old Troy Bourke had three assists, including the primary helper on Cody Carlson's overtime winner, in Prince George's 4-3 upset of Spokane ... Josh Winquist (1G-1A) helped Everett score its second big win in barely 24 hours by beating Tri-City 4-1 ... Right wing Brock Montgomery reached the 20-goal mark by scoring the third-period game-winner in Kootenay's 2-1 win over Calgary ... Star Red Deer defenceman Mathew Dumba had a 1G-1A-plus 2 night in the Rebels' win over Saskatoon ... In the OHL, Sudbury Wolves centre Michael Sgarbossa (1G-2A vs. Peterborough) took over the league scoring lead over Ottawa's Tyler Toffoli (1G vs. London), with 92 points to Toffoli's 91 ... Ottawa Senators second-rounder Shane Prince's point streak ended at 21 games ... Carolina Hurricanes goaltending prospect Mattt Mahalak had a 35-save shutout for Plymouth, which moved within four points of league-leading London ... Buffalo Sabres third-rounder Daniel Catenacci had Owen Sound's goal and shootout winner in their 2-1 verdict over Kingston. St. Louis Blues-drafted goalie Jordan Binnington was credited with 46 saves for the Attack, while Anaheim Ducks net prospect Igor Bobkov stopped 45 for the Fronts ... In the QMJHL, Acadie-Bathurst's Zack O'Brien reached the 99-point mark in a 5-2 loss at Saint John. Five Sea Dogs had multi-point games, including Detroit Red Wings second-rounder Tomas Jurco and recently signed Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Danick Gauthier. Saint John ran its win streak to 17 games ... Potential NHL first-round pick Martin Frk's two goals lifted Halifax over Rouyn-Noranda 4-3 ... League scoring leader Yanni Gourde had four points in Victoriaville's 10-0 mauling of Moncton, raising his total to 110 ... Eighteen-year-old Etienne Marcoux had his second shutout of the season, making 18 saves in Blainville-Boisbriand's 5-0 blowout of Chicoutimi.

(Game recaps available on the news page.)

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet (photo: The Canadian Press).