Tri-City's Eric Comrie makes 66 saves in final WHL game: Wednesday's 3 Stars
No. 1 star: Eric Comrie, Tri-City Americans (WHL)
Comrie's sterling tenure in Tri-City was always going to end sometimes, but the Winnipeg Jets prospect stretched out his last night as a junior as long as possible. Comrie made 66 saves before the Kelowna Rockets scored deep into the overtime for a 5-4 win and series sweep.
The 19-year-old who won a world junior gold medal with Team Canada in January came into the night with his team racked by injuries and facing elimination against a Rockets team that boasts Edmonton Oilers top pick Leon Draisaitl and three players who were with Comrie at Canada's final selection camp in December (although Josh Morrissey has yet to play in the playoffs). Comrie made 20 saves in the opening period, and also stopped 15-of-16 shots in the third when the Rockets turned up the heat to try to put away the Ams. Comrie, who stopped more than 5,000 shots in his four seasons with Tri-City (and remember, one season was cut short by hip surgery), was also strong in overtime, as his team faced two penalty kills. Gage Quinney got the winner, though, sending Kelowna to the B.C. Division final against the Prince George-Victoria winner.
Comrie will likely be in Winnipeg next season with their AHL affiliate, which is relocating to the MTS Centre.
No. 2 star: Adam Brooks, Regina Pats (WHL)
Brooks (2G, +2) ignited the Pats to a 4-0 road win over the Swift Current Broncos to complete a sweep, enabling the Queen City Kids to win their first playoff series since 2007, when Jordan Eberle was a rookie.
The 18-year-old Brooks, who had a 30-goal breakout regular season after scoring just eight goals combined in his first two Western League campaigns, got the Pats rolling in the first. The Winnipegger scored short-handed for the second game in a row, opening the scoring 11:53 into the contest. In the second, 17-year-old Austin Wagner (1A, +2) sped past a defender and teed up Brooks, who scored for a 2-0 lead. That sapped Swift Current's remaining resolve, as Pats goalie Daniel Wapple completed a 24-save shutout and second-year defenceman Connor Hobbs punctuated the win with a slapshot goal that popped the water bottle off the top of the net.
The Pats will face the Edmonton-Brandon victor in the East Division final.
No. 3 star: Timo Meier, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
Meier (2G-1A, +1) helped Halifax take a must-have 4-2 Game 4 home win over the Shawinigan Cataractes, which rendered the 5 vs. 12 series in the Quebec League a best-of-3 affray.
Each of the 18-year-old potential NHL first-round pick's markers opened two-goal leads for the Mooseheads, who have only one home game left in the series. His first goal, on a shot that Shawinigan deflected, opened a 2-0 advantage. Meier also chipped in a second-period power-play assist and Halifax was ahead by one with 12:34 left in the third when Meier redirected a pass from Winnipeg Jets prospect Nikolaj Ehlers (2A, +1). That was the eventually winner, as Halifax goalie Eric Brassard made 46 saves.
Honourable mention: Connor Rankin, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
For the first time all season, the Hitmen and Kootenay Ice did not play a one-goal game, as the former prevailed 7-2 to take a 3-1 lead in the Central Division series. Rankin (3G, +2) scored a hat trick, thanks to three primary assists from New York Rangers signing and fellow overage Adam Tambellini (1G-3A, +2). The tandem got the icebreaker 1:12 into the game and Rankin, a North Vancouver, B.C., native who had 79 points in the regular season, also scored 3:49 into the second for a 3-1 lead. Rankin completed the trick late in the second.
Honourable mention: Sam Ruopp, Prince George Cougars (WHL)
Ruopp (1G-1A, +3), the Cougars' captain, had an all-around effort to help P.G. win 4-2 against Victoria to get back into the B.C. Division semifinal with a 2-1 deficit. The 18-year-old had a short-handed assist on the only first-period goal and also scored his first playoff goal in the second to open a 3-2 lead. In his own end, the 6-foot-4 Ruopp helped shut out dangerous Royals overages Brandon Magee and Austin Carroll, which went a long way toward Prince George earning its first playoff win since 2007.
Honourable mention: Jérémy Roy, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL)
A talented sophomore defenceman, Roy (1G-1A) copped first-star honours during the Phoenix's series-squaring 2-1 road win over the Charlottetown Islanders. Roy scored on the power play 1:16 in and got the primary assist on Tim Wieser's tally in the second. The national under-18 team member also helped give support to goalie Alex Bureau, who made 38 saves.
Potent notables — New Jersey Devils first-rounder John Quenneville scored 8:53 into the second overtime for a 3-2 victory to complete Brandon's five-game win over Edmonton, the three-time WHL Eastern Conference champion ... Jake Mykitiuk scored the double-overtime winner for Everett, which took a 2-1 lead over Spokane ... Red Deer's Rylan Toth (34 saves) led his team to 2-1 win over Medicine Hat and a 2-1 lead in the Central Division semifinal ... New York Islanders first-rounder Josh Ho-Sang (1G-1A, +1) scored his first goal of the playoffs during Niagara's series-tying Game 4 overtime win against Ottawa ... Dallas Stars prospect Jason Dickinson (1G-1A, +2) helped Guelph take a 3-1 lead over Owen Sound ... Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 42-of-43 shots in Barrie's overtime win over Belleville ... In the QMJHL, Philadelphia Flyers signing Danick Martel (1G-2A, +2) led Blainville-Boisbriand to a series-tying Game 4 win against Gatineau ... Toronto Maple Leafs first-rounder Frédérik Gauthier (3A, +2, 19-of-29 on faceoffs) led Rimouski to a win against Victoriaville and 3-0 series lead.
Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.