– Former Brandon Wheat Kings’ co-captain Matt Calvert became part of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ history Saturday night. Calvert scored 1:10 into the second overtime period to give Columbus a 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh. It’s the first-ever playoff victory in the Blue Jackets’ history and tied the Eastern Conference Quarter-Final series 1-1. Calvert also scored a shorthanded goal in the second period, the first two goals of his NHL playoff career. Other action Saturday saw Barret Jackman score the overtime winner as St. Louis beat Chicago 4-3 to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Quarter-Final while Nathan McKinnon and Paul Stastny had a goal and three assists each in leading Colorado past Minnesota 4-2 to take a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference Quarter-Final.
– Canada scored three unanswered third period goals to beat Germany 5-2 Saturday and improve to 2-and-0 at the World Under-18 Hockey Championship in Finland. Wheat Kings’ forward Jayce Hawryluk had an assist in Saturday’s contest while his Brandon teammates Ryan Pilon and John Quenneville and Elkhorn’s Travis Sanheim were all held off the scoresheet. Canada is back in action Sunday, taking on Slovakia (8 a.m. CDT).
– The WHL’s Western Conference Final is tied at a game apiece after the Portland Winterhawks downed the Kelowna Rockets 5-3 Saturday night. The Winterhawks overcame a 3-1, second period deficit with Nic Petan having a goal and two assists for Portland. Former Wheat Kings’ netminder Corbin Boes stopped all 15 shots he faced after relieving Portland starter Brendan Burke early in the second period. Game Three goes Tuesday in Portland. Meanwhile, Game Two of the Eastern Conference Final goes Sunday with Edmonton hosting Medicine Hat. The Oil Kings won Game One on Friday night.
– The Deloraine Royals are Hockey Manitoba Senior A Champions. Deloraine downed the Altona Maroons 3-1 Saturday in the final of the Manitoba Cup to take the title, doing undefeated in four games during the week-long playdowns.
– Randy Rowe scored at 5:25 into the second overtime period as the host Dundas Real McCoys beat the Clarenville Caribous 3-2 Saturday to capture the 2014 Allan Cup title. Mike Mole stopped 51 shots in the Dundas net as the Real McCoys won their first Canadian Senior AAA Hockey Championship.
– Kevin Martin will try to go out with one last title. Martin advanced to the Men’s Final at the Grand Slam of Curling Players’ Championship Saturday with a 6-5, extra end victory over Brandon product Mike McEwen and his Fort Rouge team in last night’s semifinals. Martin announced his retirement from curling on Friday. Olympic gold medalist Brad Jacobs downed Brad Gushue 6-4 in the other semifinal while both women’s semifinals went to an extra end, with Jennifer Jones edging Margaretha Sigfridsson 8-7 and Rachel Homan downing Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni 4-3.
– Brandon’s Amanda Thornborough helped Rugby Canada’s women’s fifteens team to a 14-10 victory over the U.S. Saturday, completing a two-game sweep of the CAN-AM Cup. After sitting the opening game Tuesday, Thornborough was on Canada’s roster for Saturday’s contest, which was Canada’s 100th all-time test match.
– The Raptors first playoff game in six years didn’t go the way they planned. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson each scored 24 points to lead the Brooklyn Nets past Toronto 94-87 in Game One of their first-round series Saturday. Kyle Lowry had 22 points for Toronto while Jonas added a double-double. Game Two goes Tuesday in Toronto.
– The Blue Jays are looking for a sweep in Cleveland. Mark Buehrle threw shutout ball into the eighth inning as Toronto blanked the Indians 5-0 Saturday. The Jays can sweep the three-game series today. Jose Reyes returned from injury to hit an RBI single while Dioner Navarro drove in three runs.
