Trainor heads trio of Q forwards getting their first career hat tricks: Sunday’s 3 Stars

No. 1 star: Peter Trainor, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)

Trainor scored twice in regulation, then wrapped up his first QMJHL hat trick with a goal 3:15 into overtime as the Oceanic earned a 5-4 road win over surging Baie-Comeau.

The undrafted 19-year-old extended his point streak to nine games, and he now ranks in the top 15 in the league in scoring with 35 points in 25 games. Trainor had five previous two-goal games in his 94-game career coming into Sunday.

Francis Beauvillier (1G-2A) and Ryan MacKinnon (3A) had three-point nights for Rimouski, which led 4-2 midway through the third period but couldn't hang on.

The Drakkar rallied to force overtime, extending their unbeaten streak in regulation to 15 games (12-0-1-2).

No. 2 star: Daniel Cotton, Everett Silvertips (WHL)

The Everett Herald's Nick Patterson said it best after the Silvertips downed the Medicine Hat Tigers 2-1 on Sunday despite being outshot 41-18: "Not sure how the Tips won this one. Cotton excellent in goal."

An 18-year-old from West Vancouver, Cotton started the season in street clothes, watching from the stands as the third goaltender with the Seattle Thunderbirds.

But with Austin Lotz injured and Cole Holowenko struggling earlier this season, the Tips took a flyer on Cotton and the gamble has paid off. Everett traded a draft pick to its bitter rival and gave Cotton a chance to play right away.

After Sunday's 40-save performance, Cotton is 6-4 with a 2.84 goals-against average and .911 save pct. This after going 0-8, 4.91, .876 with the Thunderbirds last season.

Carson Stadnyk, who came in with one goal in 24 games, scored both Everett goals Sunday, including the game-winner with 7:17 left in regulation.

No. 3 star: Ryan Tesink, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

The Sea Dogs are scuffling this season as they try to rebuild the franchise that won back-to-back Q title, and Tesink is doing his part to keep the team afloat.

The St. Louis Blues prospect scored three times as the Sea Dogs rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Acadie-Bathurst 4-2. Tesink scored twice in the second period to tie the game 2-2, then buried an empty-netter after Jakub Izacky scored the game-winner earlier in the third.

Registering his first career hat trick, Tesink raised his career-high goal total to 14.

Honourable mention: Nick Cousins, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)

Cousins is facing some unfortunate issues off the ice, and isn't making very many friends on the ice.

But the Philadelphia Flyers draftee had the best offensive game of his OHL career, collecting five points (2G-3A) in Soo's 9-2 blowout win over Sarnia. Though he now has 222 points in 223 OHL games, Cousins never had a five-point effort until Sunday.

Honourable mention: Jérémie Malouin, Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)

Like Trainor and Tesink, Malouin also registered his first QMJHL hat trick Sunday as the Voltigeurs beat Chicoutimi 4-2.

Malouin's an overager who's playing for his third team in three seasons, and he already has nine goals in 16 games this year after collecting just 14 in 66 games with Quebec last season.

Honourable mention: Jordan Binnington, Owen Sound Attack (OHL)

Binnington doubled his career shutout total in the last two nights, following up a Saturday blanking of Kitchner with another clean sheet in the Attack's 1-0 win over Windsor on Sunday. With 26 saves against the Spitfires, Binnington raised his season save pct. to .932.

In a bit of an oddity, the only goal of Sunday's game came on a Cameron Brace penalty shot in the third period. Thus, Brace was the only player on either team to have a +/- rating of anything but 0.

Binnington even got a minor penalty as time expired for leaving his crease as the teams engaged in a bit of a melee following the final whistle.

Honourable mention: Matej Stransky, Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

The Memorial Cup hosts finally got back to .500 with a 5-2 win in Vancouver. They're still in the basement of the East Division, but the Blades are now just two points out of sixth in the conference and only seven points from being in position to host a first-round series.

Stransky has been one of many in Saskatoon who have struggled to find the back of the net, but after his first multigoal outing of the season Sunday, he's scored four times in his last five games.