Colin Smith’s two goals help keep Kamloops unbeaten in regulation: Sunday’s 3 Stars

No. 1 star: Colin Smith, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

I wanted to put JC Lipon here for his four-point night (2G-2A), but he was BTN's No. 1 star on Friday. So let's give recognition instead to Smith, who scored twice and added an assist as the Blazers downed Calgary 5-2 at the Saddledome in a battle of teams with no previous regulation losses.

The Hitmen fell to 6-1-1-1 with the loss, and could only muster 15 shots on Blazers goalie Cole Cheveldave. Calgary actually led the game 2-1 before the Blazers scored four straight to pull away. Every goal in the game was a power-play goal, with Kamloops going 5-for-10 with the man advantage.

Though Portland still has a solid club, many predicted that Kamloops would be the best team in the Western Conference this season, and they haven't disappointed. At 8-0-0-1 (the only CHL team unbeaten in regulation), the Blazers are steamrolling their opponents right now, winning each of their last six games by at least three goals. Kamloops has scored 41 goals in nine games and allowed just 19.

A 19-year-old who collected 85 points last season, Smith is currently the second-leading scorer in the WHL with 18 points, trailing only his teammate, Lipon, who has 22.

No. 2 star: Scott Sabourin, Oshawa Generals (OHL)

Overager Sabourin, a right-wing role player for the resurgent Generals, only had 19 goals in 110 career OHL games coming into a big showdown with the London Knights on Sunday.

He picked a good day to register his first career hat trick. Sabourin's second of the game gave the Generals the lead with 13:50 left in regulation, then he sealed a 5-3 win with an empty-netter just before the final horn.

At 7-2-0-1, Oshwawa trailes the Barrie Colts by one point for first place in the Eastern Conference.

No. 3 star: Angelo Miceli, Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)

The Tigres are off to an underwhelming start this year, and faced another hurdle when they fell behind Blainville-Broisbriand 2-0 within the first five minutes on Sunday.

But Miceli, an 18-year-old in his second year in the league, scored two goals and contributed two assists as Victoriaville scored five goals in a row and held on for a 5-3 win over the Armada.

Miceli put up 24 points as a rookie last year, but ranks sixth in the Q in scoring this season with 18 points in just 12 games.

Honourable mention: Mackenzie Skapski, Kootenay Ice (WHL)

The Ice came into Sunday as the bottom team in the Eastern Conference, and the struggles of goalies Skapski and Wyatt Hoflin have been a big reason.

With the defending WHL champs rolling into Cranbrook, one might have expected it to be another rough outing for the Ice.

Instead, the 18-year-old Skapski came from out of nowhere to record his first WHL shutout in his 30th career game, stopping 25 shots as Kootenay beat the Edmonton Oil Kings 1-0. Collin Shirley's second-period goal was all the Ice needed as Skapski outdueled Oil Kings netminder Laurent Brossoit, who made 21 saves in defeat.

Edmonton hadn't been shut out for 112 games dating back to March 2011 (thank you @WHLFacts for that tidbit).

Honourable mention: Zack Mitchell, Guelph Storm (OHL)

Mitchell's second goal of the game — a shortie with 2:23 left in regulation — forced a tie and the Storm would go on to beat Peterborough 7-6 in overtime in a wild game.

Kudos also go to defenceman Matt Finn, who scored his second of the game in overtime, and fellow blueliner Zac Leslie, who had four assists and set up both the game-tying and game-winning goals.

Eric Comrie, Tri-City Americans (WHL)

Ten games into the season, Comrie is still the only goaltender the Americans have used this season. And though he's just 17 years old, Comrie picked up his fifth career WHL shutout by stopping 24 shots in a 5-0 win at Moose Jaw.

After a 1-3 start, Comrie is 5-0-0-1 in his last six games, posting a 1.64 GAA and .944 save pct. over that period.

Darren Dietz, Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

The 2013 Memorial Cup hosts have been teetering precariously on the edge of become a laughingstock early this season, but the Blades righted the ship a bit the last two nights, earning consecutive road victories in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.

On Sunday, Dietz posted the first four-point game of his WHL career in his hometown, collecting a goal and three assists in Saskatoon's 6-3 win over Medicine Hat.

The 19-year-old defenceman picked up helpers on both of Josh Nicholls's goals as the Blades improved to 4-7 on the season.

Potent notables: Jamie Lewis had two goals and an assist in Brampton's 5-3 win over Saginaw ... Taylor Fielding and Tyler Graovac each scored twice in a five-goal second period for Ottawa, as the 67's downed Kitchener 6-2 ... Nikolay Goldobin (1G-2A) figured in all three goals for Sarnia as they beat Sault Ste. Marie 3-1 ... Kerby Rychel had two goals and an assist, but his Windsor Spitfires fell to Nigara 4-3 in a shootout ... Zach O'Brien scored the first two goals in Acadie-Bathurst's 5-2 win at Cape Breton ... Dmitri Jaskin scored twice in a losing effort as Moncton fell to Rouyn-Noranda 3-2. Robin Gusse stopped 40 shots for the Huskies ... Laurent Dauphin (2G-1A) and Charles Hudon (1G-2A) had three-point nights in Chicoutimi's 7-3 blowout win at Gatineau ... Justin Feser tallied two goals in Tri-City's 5-0 win at Moose Jaw.