Saturday . . .

THE PLAYOFFS: One game on Saturday as the Western Conference final opened in Vancouver. . . . The Eastern Conference final continues Sunday with the Calgary Hitmen holding a 1-0 lead over the Brandon Wheat Kings, thanks to a resounding 9-3 decision on Friday. Game time in Calgary is 2 p.m. . . . The status of Brandon C Brayden Schenn is unknown as the Wheat Kings prepare for Sunday’s second game in Calgary. He was injured in the second period of Game 1 on Friday and may have an upper body injury. Schenn didn’t skate with his teammates on Saturday.
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SATURDAY’S GAME – F Mikael Backlund (geez, sorry Mr. Anonymous) had a goal and two assists to lead the Kelowna Rockets to a 4-2 victory over the host Vancouver Giants. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday, 5 p.m., in Vancouver. . . . Backlund opened the scoring with his sixth goal at 4:59 of the second period, as he went end-to-end on the PP. . . . The Rockets took a 2-0 lead at 13:16 of the second when F Mitchell (Dirty Harry) Callahan scored his first playoff goal. . . . F Ian Duval upped the lead to 3-0, on an assist from Backlund, at 16:54. . . . Kelowna held a 15-4 edge in shots in the second period. . . . The Giants got back in it with two third-period goals, from F Lance Bouma and F James Henry, before Duval, off a pass from, yes, Backlund, put it away with an empty-netter. . . . Kelowna G Mark Guggenberger stopped 20 shots, four fewer than Vancouver’s Tyson Sexsmith. . . . There were six unsportsmanlike conduct minors, three to each team, handed out in the second period. . . . Kelowna was 1-for-3 on the PP; Vancouver was 1-for-6. . . . Attendance was 8,543.
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JUST NOTES: D Trevor Glass, who completed his WHL eligibility with the Spokane Chiefs, has signed with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack and will finish the season there. The WolfPack is up against the Worcester Sharks in a first-round AHL playoff series. . . . G Chet Pickard of the Tri-City Americans has joined the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Pickard, 19, has signed with the NHL’s Nashville Predators, who selected him with the 18th pick of the 2008 draft.
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THIRD ROUND
Conference Finals
(Best-of-7, all times local)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Calgary (1) vs. Brandon (3)
(Calgary leads series 1-0)
Friday: Brandon 3 at Calgary 9
Sunday: Brandon at Calgary, 2 p.m.
Tuesday: Calgary at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Calgary at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Friday, April 24: Brandon at Calgary, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, April 26: Calgary at Brandon, 6 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 28: Brandon at Calgary, 7 p.m.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
Vancouver (1) vs. Kelowna (3)
(Kelowna leads series 1-0)
Saturday: Kelowna 4 at Vancouver 2
Sunday: Kelowna at Vancouver, 5 p.m.
Tuesday: Vancouver at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
Thursday: Vancouver at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, April 25: Kelowna at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, April 27: Vancouver at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 28: Kelowna at Vancouver, 7 p.m.

x — if necessary.
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THE EAST FINAL:
THE PICKS:
John Down (11-1), Calgary Herald: Calgary, in 5.
Alan Caldwell (11-1), Small Thoughts At Large: Calgary, in 5.
Jeff Bromley, Kootenay NewsAdvertiser (10-2): Calgary, in 6.
Gregg Drinnan (10-2), Kamloops Daily News: Brandon, in 7.
Dave Sheldon (10-2), Vancouver Giants marketing and radio: Brandon, in 6.
Rob Vanstone (10-2), Regina Leader-Post: Calgary, in 6.
Cory Wolfe (9-3), Saskatoon StarPhoenix: Calgary in 5.
Dan Russell (9-3), CKNW Radio, Vancouver, and Shaw Cable: Calgary, in 4.
Regan Bartel, Kelowna Rockets radio voice: Calgary, in 5.
Doyle Potenteau, Kelowna Daily Courier: Brandon, in 6.
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THE WEST FINAL:
THE PICKS:
John Down, Calgary Herald: Kelowna, in 6.
Jeff Bromley, Kootenay NewsAdvertiser: Kelowna, in 6.
Alan Caldwell, Small Thoughts At Large: Vancouver, in 7.
Gregg Drinnan, Kamloops Daily News: Kelowna, in 5.
Rob Vanstone, Regina Leader-Post: Vancouver, in 6.
Cory Wolfe, Saskatoon StarPhoenix: Kelowna, in 6.
Dave Sheldon, Vancouver Giants marketing and radio: Vancouver, in 6.
Dan Russell, CKNW Radio, Vancouver, and Shaw Cable: Kelowna, in 6.
Regan Bartel, Kelowna Rockets radio voice: Kelowna, in 6.
Doyle Potenteau, Kelowna Daily Courier: Kelowna, in 6.
NOTE: I missed the Bartel and Potenteau first-round picks. Their second-round records looked like this — Bartel, 4-0; Potenteau, 3-1.
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And, finally, something special for all you American readers out there who dream of living in the land of hockey. I spotted this on Chris Snethen’s blog (onthevig.com). . . . Check it out right here.