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Barrie Colts’ Mathias Niederberger stops 49, affecting 2 OHL playoff races: Thursday’s 3 Stars

Neate Sager

No. 1 star: Mathias Niederberger, Barrie Colts (OHL)

Some thank-you notes from the Mississauga Steelheads, Peterborough Petes and Sportsnet will be in Niederberger's dressing room stall tomorrow. The Rhineland Roadblock affected the playoff outlook of five teams in the Eastern Conference by making 49 saves in the Colts' 4-2 win (with an ENG) over the Kingston Frontenacs.

Kingston outplayed Barrie for perhaps two-thirds of the contest, but the overage German goalie stayed composed while facing a nearly shot-a-minute pace through the first 30 minutes. Niederberger nixed several chances generated by Kingston's Sam Bennett-Henri Ikonen-Spencer Watson line. (Mark Scheifele also saved a goal by chipping out a puck that was on the goal line.) Both Frontenacs goals were on one-timers where Niederberger had little chance to get post-to-post in time.

“Their goalie stood on his head," Frontenacs coach Todd Gill told The Barrie Examiner. "I hope he got first star, because he deserves it.”

The big night kept the Colts within two points of the Belleville Bulls for home-ice advantage throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. Mississauga stayed seventh with 58 points, while the Frontenacs and Petes are dead even at 57 heading into their Friday Night Hockey tilt. Also, Niederberger inched into the OHL lead with a .934 save percentage. The Dusseldorf native has been outstanding for Barrie for the last season and a half. While he's undersized at 5-foot-11, he ought to get a pro shot someplace.

No. 2 star: Jake Paterson, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

Now that's a bounce-back. Paterson flat-out stole a win from the Sarnia Sting, who bested him eight times on 17 shots two weekends ago. The Detroit Red Wings draft pick who was Team Canada's No. 3 goalie at the world junior stopping 32-of-34 shots to allow Saginaw to steal the win late 3-2 in overtime, making many of his saves on gold-edged chances from the combo of Reid Boucher and Charlie Sarault, the OHL's respective leaders in goals and in assists and points.

No. 3 star: Zach Franko, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)

Drought over! Franko (1G-1A, +2) ended his 16-game goalless drought while helping the Rockets assert themselves with a 5-2 win over the Prince George Cougars. The Cougars, who can now only tie for the last playoff spot, were full of vim and vigour and had an early two-goal lead. The Rockets took control with a 19-shot second period in which Franko helped set up the 2-2 tally by New Jersey Devils prospect Damon Severson. With 6.8 seconds left in in the frame, Severson (1G-1A, +2) found Franko with a cross-rink feed that Franko converted into a power-play goal. That helped the Rockets pull away for their 50th win.

Franko would have been excused for wondering when he might score again. He has 70 points, but hadn't put one in since Jan. 31. He was also robbed of a goal last Saturday while playing on his 20th birthday.

Honourable mention: Daniel Catenacci, Owen Sound Attack (OHL)

Catenacci (2G-1A, +4), Cameron Brace (1G-2A, +4) and Gemel Smith (3A, +2) each had a night while Owen Sound secured the No. 3 playoff seed in the OHL's Western Conference. The trio made sure Owen Sound got on the Windsor Spitfires early, with Buffalo Sabres prospect Catenacci collecting two first-period points to kick-start a 6-0 rout.

Potent notables — Kelowna's Myles Bell is up to 91 points and teammate Severson reached 50 from his defence spot ... Sarault is up to 106 points with two games left, followed by Plymouth's Vincent Trocheck (104) and Sault Ste. Marie's Nick Cousins (101) ... Nikolay Goldobin, who scored both Sting goals, is one away from being the OHL's youngest 30-goal man this season. Dallas Stars prospect Brett Ritchie scored in his seventh consecutive game, reaching 41 on the season with the Niagara IceDogs ... Tampa Bay Lightning-drafted D Dylan Blujus had two power-play assists in Brampton's 5-2 win at Niagara.

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.