Boucher caps off monster month with five-point night: Friday’s 3 Stars

No. 1 star: Reid Boucher, Sarnia Sting (OHL)

Boucher wrapped up a huge November with his first hat trick of the season as Sarnia rallied from an early deficit to beat Saginaw 7-4. The New Jersey Devils draftee started slow this season, but now has 13 goals in his last 11 games to raise his season total to 19.

It's the latest streak in what's been an up-and-down OHL career for Boucher. He started out last season with 10 goals in first nine games, then later endured an entirely goal-less month of January.

This year, he had a solid, if unspectacular start. But his recent run has been huge for the Sting, who need Boucher to produce alongside Alex Galchenyuk and Charles Sarault to become a serious threat.

In addition to his three goals, Boucher added assists on the Sting's final two goals. Sarault had five points of own (2G-3A), and scored the "Burger Goal" into an empty net late in regulation to win fans a free burger at the local Harvey's. The Sting have scored at least seven goals in consecutive home games (the benchmark for free ground beef), making it reportedly the first time the team's ever given fans such a gift in consecutive games.

No. 2 star: Reid Gow, Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

Our all-Reid top two is rounded out by the Spokane defenceman who came into Friday's game in Swift Current with all of seven goals in 121 WHL games.

Gow erupted for two goals and two assists as the Chiefs stomped the Broncos 7-2. Gow, an 18-year-old in his third full season, is now averaging a point a game with 22 in 22 contests. Todd Fiddler also scored twice for Spokane to move, shockingly, into a tie for second in the league with 20 goals.

The victory kicked off a six-games-in-nine-days trip through the Eastern Division, and the Chiefs need a good showing to keep pace with the recently newsworthy Portland Winterhawks, who lead them by six points in the U.S. Division.

The Broncos, meanwhile, continue to tread water in the Eastern Conference race and fell to 1-4 at home against American teams (they only managed to beat Seattle).

No. 3 star: Gabriel Desjardins, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)

Desjardins came back to haunt his old club, notching the game-tying and game-winning goals in the Huskies' 4-1 win over the Quebec Remparts at Le Colisée.

Quebec traded Desjardins to the Huskies in the offseason after acquiring him from Halifax midway through last season. An overager from Montreal, Desjardins is up to 13 goals and 35 points in 26 games this season.

The Huskies had been sliding as of late, and needed the win to regain a solid position in the top eight. Meanwhile, the Remparts are winless in their last three and are slowly losing contact with Halifax and Blainville-Broisbriand for the league's top spot.

Honourable mention: Martin Frk, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

We'll give the title to Frk, who had a goal and three apples in the Mooseheads' easy 7-1 win over Chicoutimi. But, as usual, it was the Nathan MacKinnon show in Halifax.

MacKinnon got the Mooseheads going just 3:20 into Friday's game with this gem:

MacKinnon added another goal and an assist later in the game.

Honourable mention: Anthony Bardaro, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

The overager has been struggling to find the net this season, but Bardaro scored twice on Friday in the Raiders' 5-3 home win over Regina.

Prince Albert outshot the Pats 53-14 for the game, but didn't put it away until Mike Winther and Leon Draisatli scored in the final seven minutes of regulation.

Bardaro had just six goals in his first 26 games this season coming into Friday, far below expectations after a 36-goal, 74-point campaign last season — which he split between the Raiders and Spokane.

Bardaro was the Chiefs' top scorer last year when he was shipped to then-last place Prince Albert in a deal that sent goalie Eric Williams and supposed throw-in Todd Fiddler back to Spokane.

Even with Bardaro's big night Friday, he's still been outscored 20-8 this season by Fiddler, who had four goals in 35 games with the Raiders last season.

Despite all this, Prince Albert leads the Eastern Conference. If Bardaro begins to find his form, the Raiders could become an even scarier team.

Honourable mention: Cameron Brace, Owen Sound Attack (OHL)

In a dogfight at home with Sudbury, Brace scored two shorties in the third period to lift the Attack to an eventual 6-4 win. With the goals, Brace became the sixth OHL player to hit the 20 mark for the season.

Brace's effort ruined the night for Sudbury's Nathan Pancel, who had a hat trick in a losing effort.

Potent notables: Philippe Derosiers stopped 44 shots in Rimouski's 5-1 win at Cape Breton. Scott Oke had three points (1G-2A) for the Oceanic ... Dmitri Jaskin (2G-2A) figured in every goal in Moncton's 4-2 victory over Victoriaville ... Emile Poirier (Gatineau) and Guillaume Gauthier (Drummondville) each scored twice as the Olympiques beat the Voltigeurs 5-4 in a shootout ... Stefan Noeson had two goals for the Whalers as Plymouth downed Ottawa 4-1. Clint Windsor made 44 saves in defeat ... Seth Griffith (4A), Max Domi (1G-2A), Alex Broadhurst (1G-2A) and Bo Horvat (2G) all had big nights as London extended its winning streak to 13 games, beating Barrie 5-3 ... Niagara held off a late charge from Mississauga to win 6-4, thanks to four points (1G-3A) from Ryan Strome. Dylan Smoskowitz (2G-1A) had a good night for the Steelheads ... Daniel Cotton made 19 saves for his first WHL shutout and Joshua Winquist scored twice in a 4-0 win for Everett over hapless Vancouver ... Zach Franko assisted on all three goals as Kelowna held off Moose Jaw 3-2 for its fifth straight win ... Victoria's Patrik Polivka picked up his second shutout in two weeks, blanking Prince George 2-0 with a 30-save effort ... Chase Souto scored at the 19:22 mark of the third period to give Kamloops a 3-2 win over Tri-City ... Ryhsse Dieno had three helpers as Red Deer won its sixth straight, 6-5 over Medicine Hat. Curtis Valk has two goals and two assists in a losing effort ... Edmonton goalie Tristan Jarry picked up his second shutout in nine starts this season, stopping 20 shots in beating Kootenay 2-0 ... Matt Revel (2G-1A) and Andrey Makarov (25 saves) stood out for Saskatoon as the Blades won 4-0 at Calgary.