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Chicoutimi Sagueneens' Alexandre Ranger has 4-goal night: Thursday's 3 Stars

Ranger scored his second career hat trick on Thursday (Ghyslain Bergeron, The Canadian Press)
Ranger scored his second career hat trick on Thursday (Ghyslain Bergeron, The Canadian Press)

No. 1 star: Alexandre Ranger, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)

The Saguenéens seemingly can't lose under new coach-GM Yanick Jean. Ranger (4G-1A, +4) kept the good times rolling with his first mortarboard trick in Chicoutimi's 8-5 win over the Charlottetown Islanders and Mason McDonald, who was the first goalie taken in the last NHL draft. The first period was an all-Alexandre affair, as the 19-year-old Rangers and 18-year-old Islanders centre Alexandre Goulet (3G) each scored twice.

Ranger, a Lasalle, Que., native who spent his first three seasons in Baie-Comeau prior to an inter-division trade, earned an assist in the second. Chicoutimi had a precarious 5-4 lead when he completed his second hat trick of the season just 47 seconds into the third.

That strike was the straw that broke Charlottetown's back. Sags defenceman Brian Lovell (2G-1A, +4) scored 3½ minutes later and Ranger tacked on his fourth of the night with 7:31 remaining.


No. 2 star:  Alex Fotinos, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

Fotinos (34 saves on 35 shots) stole two points for the Spitfires, who pulled off a 4-1 road win over the North Bay Battalion. The teams were two goals apart early in the third when the Battalion got a full two-minute 5-on-3 advantage thanks to Ryan Moore getting a checking-from-behind major/game misconduct followed by another penalty to defenceman Graeme Brown. Fotinos made eight saves in less than minute during the two-man disadvantage to help Windsor weather the storm.

Fotinos also had a big glove stop that allowed Windsor to escape the first 20 minutes with a 1-1 tie and also turned back Miles Liberati and Brett McKenzie on breakaways. That allowed the Spitfires to win going way while only mustering 16 shots on goal; overage defenceman Slater Doggett (2G-1A, +1) had a big night.

No. 3 star: Christian Dvorak, London Knights (OHL)

The Knights have one Arizona Coyotes prospect, Max Domi, with Team Canada, so another stepped up. Dvorak (2G-2A, +2) got his linchpin on to lead London to a 5-2 win over Sarnia that completed a night where the three road teams in the OHL each won by three goals. The Chicagoan and his linemates Mitchell Marner (1G-1A, +2) and Matt Rupert (3A, +1) were the only trio that London coach Dale Hunter left intact while covering for Domi's absence and they went off. Dvorak had a pair of power-play points in the first and fed Marner for his 24th of the year to re-open a two-goal margin early in the second. He put the game away by taking a breakaway feed from Marner for the clincher with 14:55 remaining.

Honourable mention: Josh Ho-Sang, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)

Indeed, while Team Canada was beginning its selection camp in Toronto, Ho-Sang was once again tough to leave off. The New York Islanders first-rounder had his first four-point night (1G-3A, +4) since his trade to the IceDogs during a 7-4 road win over the depleted Peterborough Petes. The Petes, whose absenteeism includes world junior candidates Nick Ritchie and Dominik Masin and centre Hunter Garlent (currently under OHL suspension), scored on three consecutive power plays in the game's first 11 minutes but fell back into a 4-4 tie after one period.

Ho-Sang stepped up as the teams scrambled to tighten up. The 18-year-old had the primary assist on an Aaron Haydon goal 30 seconds that put Niagara back in front and also scored 1:26 into the third. Ho-Sang also had one four-pointer earlier this season with Windsor.

Potent notables — Colorado Avalanche first-rounder Connor Bleackley (2G, +2) led Red Deer past Kamloops in the lone WHL game ...  In the QMJHL, defenceman Matt Murphy (2G, +2) helped Halifax hand Quebec its third consecutive loss with a 4-3 win ... Sophomore centre Anthony Beauvillier (2G, +1, 20-of-32 on faceoffs) led Shawinigan to a 3-1 win over Blainville-Boisbriand.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.