DeLuca’s four goals lead Rimouski as QMJHL players sweep: Sunday’s 3 stars

No. 1 star: Anthony DeLuca, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)

Another day, another QMJHL triggerman with a four-goal game against the Charlottetown Islanders.

This time it was the 2014-eligible DeLuca, who found the back of the net four times to help Rimouski come back from 3-1 down to defeat the Islanders 5-3. The Oceanic scored four times in the third, including three from DeLuca, to seal the deal. Alexis Loiseau had assists on each of DeLuca’s goals. DeLuca took 13 shots, including eight dangerous ones, so he could have buried even more.

DeLuca’s four goals gives him 15 on the year, enough to pull ahead of Quebec’s Anthony Duclair and Drummondville’s Jérome Verrier for second on the QMJHL goals list. It also puts him four back of league-leader Anthony Mantha.

Philippe Desroisers got the win in relief of starter Zachary Fortin for Rimouski, stopping eight shots as the Oceanic improved to 9-5-1-2 on the year. Eric Brassard took the loss, stopping 42 shots, as Charlottetown dropped to 10-5-0-1.

No. 2 & no. 3 stars: Jean-Sébastien Dea, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL) & Louick Marcotte, Val-d’Or Foreurs (QMJHL)

Two more QMJHL players notched hat-tricks on Sunday, both in the same game.

Jean-Sébastien Dea got the best of Louick Marcotte as the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies played bait and switch and took the road win over the Foreurs.

Dea scored the first three goals for the Huskies to pull them out to a 3-1 lead. Marcotte scored Val-d’Or’s first two goals and then the goal that gave them life in the third period, but by then it was too late.

The Huskies improved to 10-5-1-1 with the win, while the Foreurs dropped to 9-8-0-0.

The Huskies also got a big game from goaltender Alexandre Bélanger, who stopped 34 shots in the win. Chicago blueliner Dillon Fournier had a goal and two apples in the win, while three Huskies had two assists: Marcus Power, Jason Fuchs and Francis Perron.

League-leading scorer Anthony Mantha had three assists in the loss.

Honorable mention: Joe Manchurek, Oshawa Generals (OHL)

Manchurek scored the winner late in the third period as the Gennies defeated the Niagara IceDogs 5-4 in dramatic fashion.

Machurek and fellow forward Cole Cassels each scored twice in the third to nail the IceDogs, who led 4-1 and 4-2 after two. Josh Sterk had a goal and three assists in the win for Oshawa, who survived the scare to improve to 11-3-0-1. The IceDogs fell to 5-7-1-2.

Daniel Altshuller got the win in net, stopping 21 shots, while Christopher Festarini took the loss, stopping 30-of-35.

Honorable mention: Robby Fabbri, Guelph Storm (OHL)

Fabbri was the best of a group of good offensive nights for the Storm and their deep offence. He had three assists, including on the winner, in the Storm’s 7-4 win over division-rival London.

Adam Craievich scored twice for Guelph, while Hunter Garlent and Scott Kosmachuk each had two assists. Captain Matt Finn, Steven Trojanovic and Tyler Bertuzzi had a goal and an assist in the win, giving Guelph seven players with two points or more.

Christian Dvorak had a goal and an assist for London, and Mitchell Marner had two assists.

With the win, Guelph improved to 12-3-0-0, one point off division- and league-leading Erie. London dropped to 8-5-1-0, just behind Erie and Guelph and a point up on fourth-place Owen Sound.

Potent notables: Etienne Marcoux made 33 saves, including stopping all 17 shots in the third period, and was named first star in Blainville-Boisbriand’s 3-1 win over Victoriaville. Danick Martel had two assists. … Brett Kulak, Jackson Houck and Carter Popoff each had two points in Vancouver’s 4-1 win over Kamloops. Aspen Sterzer scored in the game’s first six seconds to put Kamloops ahead, but they couldn’t hang on. … Fabrice Herzog scored twice as the Remparts completed the weekend sweep with a 4-2 win on home ice. Callum Booth stopped 29 shots for the winners in a rare start. … Vincent Praplan scored the winner at 1:21 of overtime for North Bay to come away with the win, 3-2 over Belleville. Brenden Miller had a goal and an assist, and Mike Amadio had two helpers. … Dylan Smoskowitz scored the only goal in the shootout as Mississauga beat Sudbury 5-4. Josh Burnside had three apples, and Bryson Cianfrone had two goals and an assist. Smoskowitz and Cianfrone scored in the third to pull ahead, before coughing up the lead and taking it back in the extra fun. … Three players: Olivier Caouette, Matthew Boudens and Sergei Boikov each had a goal and an assist in Drummondville’s 5-1 drubbing of visiting Shawinigan. Joe Fleischer stopped 24-of-25 for the win. … Blueliner Trevor Murphy scored his first of the year to finish the comeback for the Spitfires in their come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Owen Sound Attack. The Spits outshot the Attack 31-9 in the final period and overtime, including 8-0 in the final frame. … Francis Desrosiers made 39 saves as Sherbrooke defeated Moncton 3-2. Tim Weiser and 2014-eligible Dan Audette each had a pair of assists.