Senators prospect Nick Paul notches third-period hat trick: Thanksgiving Day's 3 Stars

No. 1 star: Nick Paul, North Bay Battalion (OHL)

The Ottawa Senators prospect helped the Battalion end a two-game losing skid with a very characteric 4-1 win over Barrie. Paul (3G, +3) scored a natural hat trick in the third period after the Colts had tied the game on a nifty tic-tac-toe passing play between Andrew Mangiapane, Matthew Kreis and Justin Scott.

With 10:25 to play, Mathew Santos (1A, +3) forced a soft Barrie pass into the middle of the Colts' defensive zone. Los Angeles Kings third-rounder Mike Amadio (2A, +2) intercepted and fed Paul, who buried a goal short-side to put North Bay ahead to stay. The line came back for the clincher with 5:47 left, as Amadio slid the puck past a diving defender and Paul finished for a 3-1 lead.

Paul didn't need any help getting the hat-trick goal, scoring unassisted into the empty net with 1:25 remaining.

No. 2 star: Mads Eller, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)

Consider Eller (1G-2A, +3) and Edgars Kulda (1G-1A, +2) both adjusted back to junior puck. The Oil Kings' imports had yet to score, but each put the biscuit in the basket to help Edmonton take advantage of road-weary Brandon with a 5-2 home win.

Pittsburgh Penguins-drafted goalie Tristan Jarry, last seen allowign six goals against Kamloops on Saturday, made 13 of his 26 saves to help Edmonton escape from the opening 20 minutes with a scoreless tie. Starting the second, Ellers set up rookie Andrew Koep for the first goal of the game, then came back just more than five minutes later to tally himself. The Dane then sprung Cole Benson (2G, +2) for a short-handed goal that gave Edmonton three goals in a 10:15 span and a backbreaking 3-0 lead.

No. 3 star: Nick Magyar, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

Like his NHL organization, the Colorado Avalanche, the 18-year-old Magyar had been having trouble scoring until Monday. The seventh game of the season finally contained some puck luck Magyar (2G), who helped the Kitchener Rangers win 6-5 for their first victory over the rival Guelph Storm since 2012-13.

In a scrambly game in which the Storm lost despite scoring two short-handed goals, Magyar got a big first-period goal just 96 seconds after Kitchener allowed the first of the afternoon. The Avs fourth-round pick also pounced on a Max Iafrate rebound late in the second to open a 6-4 margin, which proved to be just enough of a cushion for the Rangers.

Honourable mention: Josh Sterk, Oshawa Generals (OHL)

The Generals had some bounce back, blowing out the Ottawa 67's 7-1 to earn a split of a holiday-weekend home-and-home. Sterk (2G, +1) got the feeding frenzy started early, scoring from high slot 53 seconds into the game after taking a lead pass from New York Islanders first-rounder Michael Dal Colle (1G-1A, +2). Sterk also got the first goal of the second period, as the Generals improved to 6-1-1-0 on the young season.

Potent notables — Brandon's Rihard Bukarts (1G-1A, -3) ran his point streak to five games ... Conor McGlynn (2G, +2) scored both Kingston Frontenacs goals in a 3-2 shootout loss at Mississauga, including the equalizer with 12 seconds left in the third period. Colorado Avalanche signing Spencer Martin made 35 saves for Mississauga and stopped 2-of-3 shootout attempts.

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