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NHL draft prospect Nathan Noel nets 4 goals for Saint John Sea Dogs: Friday’s 3 Stars
No. 1 Star: Nathan Noel, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Just days after NHL Central Scouting Service pegged him the 55th best North American skater in the 2015 draft class, Noel scored his first major junior hat trick and added a fourth goal for good measure against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.
The 6-foot, 168-pound centre scored his first marker with less than two minutes left in the second period to erase the Eagles’ early 3-0 lead. He kicked off the final frame by scoring back-to-back goals, both assisted by Spencer Smallman (3A, -2), on the man advantage within seven minutes. He potted his third straight goal at the 10:02 mark to wrap up the 6-4 game’s scoring.
Noel’s four-goal night puts him over his 39-point total from last year as he now has 17 markers and 42 points in 46 games.
No. 2 Star: Cole Sanford, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Sanford led the Tigers to their second straight win after they dropped five in a row. He notched two key goals and set up another in the 5-2 win against the Prince George Cougars.
The Vernon, B.C., native scored the first marker of the game just 5:12 into it. He found the back of the net for the second time early in the second half of the third period when he netted the would-be game-winner. He ended the night by setting up Trevor Cox (1G-2A, +3) to give Medicine Hat a two-goal lead with just over five minutes left in the match.
Sanford, an undrafted 19-year-old wing, remains eight points behind Cox in the WHL’s scoring race with 39 goals and 70 points in 46 games.
No. 3 Star: Evan Sarthou, Tri-City Americans (WHL)
The Black Diamond, WA., native didn’t necessarily have the best performance in the blue paint among CHL netminders tonight, but how he posted his third shutout in four games made his 25-save effort that much more special. The icing on the cake is how the 17-year-old isn’t even a No. 1 goalie in the WHL. He’s Tri-City’s backup for Winnipeg Jets second-rounder Eric Comrie, who’s currently out with a lower-body injury.
In the 4-0 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds, Sarthou started the game out easy with only two saves in the first period, but ended it with a heavy 15-shot workload in the final 20 minutes. He also played his part in not allowing the Thunderbirds to score on six opportunities on the man advantage.
Honourable mention: Justin Bailey, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
The Buffalo Sabres draft choice (2G-2A, +3) had a big night on the stats sheet as the Greyhounds defeated the Mississauga Steelheads 7-5. Following notching the primary assist on a Connor Boland marker, Bailey lit the lamp late in the first period to tie the game up at two. He sniped his second of the night on the power play just over seven minutes into the middle frame. He wrapped up the contest by setting up Jean Dupuy’s (1G-1A, +3) empty-net goal with just over a minute left in it.
Honourable mention: Adam Erne, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
Erne (1G-4A, +1) racked up five points, four of which were on the power play, against the Halifax Mooseheads. The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect set up a Jerome Verrier goal and potted one for himself on the man advantage in the second period to pave the way for a high-scoring final frame. He notched helpers on three straight goals in just over six minutes nearing the middle of the period in the 6-1 affair.
Potent notables: Nikita Jevpalovs and Danick Martel netted two goals and four points apiece as the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada beat the Rimouski Oceanic 6-3… New Jersey Devils prospect Anthony Brodeur posted a 25-save shutout for the Drummondville Voltigeurs in a 1-0 win against the Gatineau Olympiques… Anthony Beauvillier (1G-3A, +2) led the Shawinigan Cataractes to a 4-2 victory over the Victoriaville Tigres… Jake Paterson turned aside 39 shots as the Kitchener Rangers defeated the Kingston Frontenacs 2-1… Ottawa 67’s puck-stopper Leo Lazarev posted a 23-save shutout in a 2-0 victory over the Belleville Bulls… Los Angeles Kings pick Matt Mistele (2G-1A, +2) helped the Oshawa Generals knock off the North Bay Battalion 5-3… Tim McGauley scored twice and Alex Moodie stopped 31 pucks in the Brandon Wheat Kings’ 5-1 victory against the Prince Albert Raiders… Mack Shields turned away all 24 shots that came his way as the Calgary Hitmen beat up the Swift Current Broncos 8-0… Jets pick draft choice Chase De Leo (2G, +1) and Adin Hill (33 saves) helped the Portland Winterhawks defeat the Spokane Chiefs 4-1... Victoria Royals call-up Matthew Phillips scored his first goal in his first game in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Kamloops Blazers.
Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen
