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Anthony Mantha’s hat trick puts Val-d’Or one win from QMJHL semifinal: Friday’s 3 Stars

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

The Quebec League MVP had the hat trick plus an apple as he put Val-d'Or on his broad back in a 5-2 home-ice Game 5 win that opened a 3-2 series lead on the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Right off the hop, the Detroit Red Wings first-round pick and two-time 50-goal scorer established a tone. First, Mantha wired in a goal 1:15 into the contest, just 12 seconds into a Foreurs power play.

The Longueuil, Que., native struck again just past the nine-minute mark, putting Val-d'Or in good stead with a 2-0 lead. The margin was still at two late in the second when Mantha went into beast mode, stealing the puck and scoring a short-handed unassisted goal to give Val-d'Or a 4-1 lead. Just for good measure, Mantha got a helper on Louick Marcotte's insurance goal 2:59 into the third that put the game out of reach.

Mantha's five goals and 15 points over nine games is the most by any Quebec league player who's not Jonathan Drouin, or who doesn't regularly share the ice with Jonathan Drouin.

No. 2 star: Philippe Gadoury, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

Speaking of which: Gadoury (1G-3A), snakebitten during his homecoming to the national capital region, got in all of Halifax's scoring as it beat Gatineau 4-1 win its series by the same margin, reaching the President's Cup semifinal for the third consecutive season.

The Olympiques, with their season on the line, started fast and scored 3:45 into the contest. Gadoury, who began the season with the Junior A Nepean (Ont.) Raiders before coming to the Mooseheads as a free agent to give their offence another potent stick, helped facilitate Nikolaj Ehlers' power-play goal fewer than two minutes later. The Mooseheads forced the issue late in the second, when Gadoury and fellow Raiders grad Mackenzie Weegar (2A, +1) also had the helpers on Drouin's go-ahead goal and Gadoury assisted on a tally by Luca Ciampini, who did great work in the series while moonlighting in the top-6 role opened by an injury to Darcy Ashley.

In the third, Drouin flicked a pass to Gadoury, who buried a dagger goal. That clincher gave the 19-year-old 17 points across nine playoff games, third in the QMJHL race behind Drouin (27) and Ehlers (20).

No. 3 star: Barclay Goodrow, North Bay Battalion (OHL)

Captain Teal, as the San Jose Sharks signing shall be known for the duration of the post-season, had his second three-point third period in six days to lift North Bay to a 4-1 win over Barrie and 3-2 Eastern Conference semifinal lead.

Just as they were in their previous two playoff matchups at the Memorial Gardens, the Battalion and Colts were knotted at naught after 40 minutes. The Battalion broke the ice in each of the first two instances and went on to win. This time, Brendan Lemieux scored 42 seconds into the frame to give the Colts their first road lead of the series in 160-plus minutes of trying.

The Battalion didn't buckle, though. Goodrow (1G-2A, +1) got the primary assist on Dallas Stars draftee Nick Paul's leveler 4½ minutes later. Barrie rookie Kevin Labanc was sent off for slashing moments later, and Goodrow won the ensuing faceoff right back to Marcus McIvor, who ripped a shot in to put North Bay ahead to stay. Goodrow then banked in a shot off first-time playoff starter Daniel Gibl.

Honourable mention: Zack Mitchell, Guelph Storm (OHL)

Mitchell (1G-1A, +1) copped first star honours inside the Sleeman Centre following the Storm franchise's biggest win since 2004, its 5-4 win that finished off London (at least for the league playoffs) in five games. The overage Minnesota Wild signing made several big plays as a defensive forward as Guelph ran off the final minutes. Mitchell was involved in two go-ahead goals, scoring in the first and making a great pass to give Robby Fabbri (1G-1A, +2) an open net for the 4-3 tally in the second. Fabbri also set up the series-winning goal by Scott Kosmachuk (1G-1A, +2) late in the second, as five different Storm scored.

Potent notables — Mitch Moroz (1G-1A, +2) and Henrik Samuelsson (1G-1A, +2) helped Edmonton close out Brandon with a 5-1 Game 5 win in the WHL Eastern Conference semifinal. The Oil Kings will have home ice vs. the Kootenay-Medicine Hat victor ... In the QMJHL, Peter Trainor's goal 2:40 into OT gave Rimouski a 3-2 series lead over Blainville-Boisbriand. The Océanic is home for Game 6 (and 7 if necessary).

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