Faksa with trick, Zykov powers Drakkar comeback – Sunday’s Three Stars

No. 1 Star - Radek Faksa, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

Radek Faksa had an inauspicious season debut Friday against Peterborough, finishing with no points and a minus-1 in his first game since returning from Dallas Stars camp. He, and his Rangers, had a much better game on Sunday with a 5-3 win over the Oshawa Generals, spoiling the Gens' home opener. Faksa recorded a hat-trick, sealing it with 1:28 to go in the third and final period. He also scored a penalty shot goal in a back-and-forth game where the Rangers never trailed, but took 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 leads before pulling away with Curtis Meighan's first on the season on the powerplay 2:42 in the third. That goal wound up chasing Gens goalie Daniel Altshuller, who has allowed three or more goals in each of this three starts this season.

No. 2 Star - Valentin Zykov, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)

A disaster last season on the ice, the Charlottetown Islanders started off the 2013-2014 season with the new name on a positive note, winning their first five games. They still remain unbeaten in 65 minutes, but the Drakkar went to the shootout Sunday to hand them their first loss of the season, and the Los Angeles Kings' select from this past June played a big part.

The big Russian scored a goal and two assists, and beat Islanders goaltender Antoine Bibeau for the only goal of the shootout contest, sealing the winner. All three of Zykov's points came in the third period as the Drakkar stormed back from a 4-0 deficit midway through the second period. Zykov also wound up +4.

No. 3 Star - Corbin Boes, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)

Just one game on the WHL schedule, and it wound up with Lethbridge knocking off division rival Edmonton on the road despite getting outshot by a 2-to-1 ratio. Former Brandon Wheat King Corbin Boes made 39 stops on a 42-shot onslaught from a loaded Oil Kings team, and stopped all 20 shots he faced in the first period of play.

The Hurricanes got goals from five different players and scored three goals within a 42 second span early in the third period to tie the game, take the lead and get some insurance for Boes. What may be notable is that while Boes has had to stop 89 shots in just two appearances this season for the Hurricanes, that same defensive group held the Oil Kings to just five shots in the third period of Sunday's game.

Honourable Mention - Christopher Clapperton, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL) - It was in an 8-4 win, but the Florida Panthers' 5th rounder put up a goal and four assists in Sunday's game versus the Moncton Wildcats, winding up as the day's top scorer in the CHL.

Potent Notables: 2012 QMJHL first overall pick Daniel Audette scored Sherbrooke's only goal… Phoenix Coyotes 2nd rounder Laurent Dauphin had two goals and a helper for Chicoutimi… defenceman Matthew Donnelly scored a pair for Cape Breton in a shootout loss to Rimouski. In the O, Scott Kosmachuk, Ryan Horvat and Jason Dickinson all went 1+1 for Guelph in a 6-3 win over London… 2014 first time eligible Matt Mistele scored in regulation and in the shootout for Plymouth… Carolina prospect Trevor Carrick scored twice for Mississauga, including the OT winner… A good day for another Dallas Stars prospect, as Nick Paul scored twice for North Bay in their win over Sudbury.