Saturday . . .

Former NHLer Walt Poddubny, who had a brief fling in the WHL to start the 1978-79 season, died Saturday in Thunder Bay, Ont. He was 49. The cause of death wasn’t know as of Saturday night. . . . Poddubny, then 18, began the 1978-79 season with the Brandon Wheat Kings and had 22 points, including 11 goals, in 20 games when he said he was homesick and returned home to Thunder Bay. . . . He actually left the Wheat Kings and returned home during training camp, only to change his mind and return to the team. . . . The Wheat Kings went on to a 58-5-9 record and won the WHL championship. They lost the Memorial Cup final, 2-1 in OT, to Gary Green and the Peterborough Petes. . . . Poddubny went on to play 11 NHL seasons, totaling 422 points in 468 games.
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There will be one WHL playoff game Sunday afternoon, with the Calgary Hitmen entertaining the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Hitmen won the opener, 5-0, on Thursday. . . . Calgary D Matt Mackenzie (broken jaw) hasn’t played since Jan. 20 but could be in the lineup Sunday.
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SATURDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES:
In Saskatoon, F Zach Boychuk scored three times to lead the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 5-2 victory over the Blades. . . . The series is tied, 1-1 as it heads to Lethbridge for games Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Boychuk, who also had an assist, scored the game’s first two goals, both in the first period, then added a third at 11:00 of the second on the PP. . . . Lethbridge fired 22 shots at Saskatoon G Braden Holtby, with 11 of those coming from Boychuk. . . . Lethbridge G Juha Metsola (concussion) returned to the lineup and stopped 21 shots. . . . Lethbridge was 2-for-7 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-for-8. . . . Attendance was 5,617. . . . Lethbridge F Kyle Beach and Saskatoon D Jyri Niemi sat out one-game WHL suspensions.
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In Brandon, the Wheat Kings scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-1. . . . Brandon holds a 2-0 lead with Game 3 in Cranbrook on Tuesday. . . . Brandon F Nathan Green missed on a second-period penalty shot with his side up 2-1. . . . Brandon put it away with third-period goals from F Matt Lowry, who also had an assist, and F Scott Glennie. . . . Brandon F Andrew Clark had a goal, his second, and an assist. He scored 25 seconds into the first period. . . . Brandon D Colby Robak drew two assists. . . . Attendance was 3,506.
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In Swift Current, the Medicine Hat Tigers beat the Broncos 6-2 to even that series at 1-1. . . . It resumes in Medicine Hat on Tuesday. . . . F Brennan Bosch scored twice for the Tigers, who scored three times in the third period to break open a 3-2 game. . . . Bosch, with two, and F Sean Ringrose gave the visitors a 3-0 lead in the first period. . . . Medicine Hat D Mark Isherwood drew three assists. . . . Attendance was 2,395.
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In Kelowna, F Ryley Grantham scored twice to help the Rockets to a 5-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Kelowna leads the series 2-0 as the scene shifts to Kamloops for games Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Kelowna D Brandon McMillan, D Tyler Myers and C Colin Long each drew two assists. . . . Kelowna G Mark Guggenberger, who made 29 saves, lost his shutout bid at 10:52 of the third period when F Kenton Dulle scored a shorthanded goal. . . . The Rockets held a 42-30 edge in shots despite the fact they had been outshot 10-1 at one point in the first period. . . . The Rockets now have beaten the Blazers 11 straight times this season. . . . Kelowna was 0-for-10 on the PP; the Blazers were 0-for-4. . . . Kelowna F Mikael Backlund, who hasn’t played since being injured March 13 in Kamloops, didn’t play. He skated Saturday morning for the first time since being injured. While the Rockets won’t confirm it, speculation is that he has a concussion. . . . Attendance was 5,204.
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In Kennewick, Wash., F Tyler Maxwell scored all three of Everett’s goals as the Silvertips edged the Tri-City Americans 3-2. . . . That series is 1-1 as it heads to Everett for games on Wednesday and Friday. . . . Everett G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 45 shots. . . . F Byron Froese and D Graham Potuer had two assists each for Everett. . . . Tri-City G Chet Pickard stopped 18 shots. . . . Maxwell’s third goal, at 3:49 of the third on the PP, gave Everett a 3-1 lead. . . . All five goals came via the PP as Everett was 3-for-6 and Tri-City was 2-for-4. . . . Everett was without RW Kellan Tochkin, who was injured in Game 1, and D Mike Alexander. Both have upper-body ailments. . . . Tri-City again was minus F Petr Stoklasa (shoulder) and D Brett Plouffe (leg). . . . Attendance was 3,937.
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In Spokane, the Thunderbirds scored a 2-1 victory over the Chiefs to even that series 1-1. . . . Game 3 goes Tuesday in Kent, Wash. . . . Seattle had a 2-0 lead on goals from D Thomas Hickey, at 15:37 of the second on the PP, and D Sena Acolatse, at 5:11 of the third. . . . Spokane got its goal from LW Drayson Bowman – he has all three of the Chiefs’ goals in this series – at 16:26 of the third. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 33 shots, seven more than Spokane’s Dustin Tokarski. . . . Seattle was 1-for-3 on the PP; Spokane was 0-for-4. . . . Attendance was 5,902. . . . Spokane F Ryan Letts sat out the last game of the 10-game suspension he got after running over Tri-City G Chet Pickard on Feb. 28. . . . Spokane hopes to have D Trevor Glass (shoulder) and D Mike Reddington (flu) back for Game 3.
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In Vancouver, the Giants beat the Prince George Cougars 9-1 to take a 2-0 lead in that series. . . . It resumes Tuesday and Wednesday in Prince George. . . . The Giants have outscored the Cougars 17-3 in the first two games. . . . According to Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province, Gordie Howe kissed the stick belonging to Vancouver F Mike Piluso before the game and said: “Get me one.” . . . Piluso did just that, getting his team rolling with an early shorthanded goal. . . . Vancouver G Tyson Sexsmith, who made 28 saves, lost his shutout bid when F Tyler Halliday scored on the PP with 1:32 left in the third. . . . F Casey Pierro-Zabotel, who led the WHL in scoring in the regular season, had two goals and an assist.