I'm so glad to see that my hometown boys are giving me something to root for this spring! Calgary Flames fans, be excited for next season with this Backlund kid! Bring on the Hitmen!

From Castanet.net:

Backlund Propels Rockets to WHL Final

One wave of referee Pat Smith's hand sent the Kelowna Rockets to the WHL final, the Vancouver Giants to the golf course and 6,328 fans into a state of pandemonium.

After a lengthy video review, Smith pointed to centre ice, telling everyone at Prospera Place Mikael Backlunds third goal of the night, four minutes into overtime would stand.

With the victory, the Rockets win the best-of-seven WHL Western Conference final 4-2. They will now battle the Eastern Conference champion Calgary Hitmen in the league final.

Backlund was able to get his stick on Tysen Dowzak's point shot, however, even he didnt know if the goal would stand as the game winner.

"I wasn't sure because I just put my stick out and tried to tip it. It hit my stick," says Backlund of the winner.

"I didn't know if it was under or over the bar. I had no clue but I was so happy when they called it a goal."

Backlund's goal capped a spirited third period comeback by the Rockets.

Leading 4-2, Giants forward Evander Kane was sent to the penalty box for tripping with just under six minutes left in regulation time.

Jamie Benn brought the crowd to its feet converting a one-timer from the left face-off circle at 15:55 to cut the deficit to one.

Thirty-three seconds later, while that goal was being announced, Cody potted his eighth of the post season, sending the game into overtime.

The announced crowd of 6,328 lifted the roof off the building with the lowest roar in the building since Justin Keller scored the Memorial Cup clinching goal in 2004.

"It was an outstanding game. I don't think I've ever seen the fans this excited, the whole city has just livened up and hopped on board with us which is just awesome to see," says Almond.

The series appeared to be heading for a seventh game in Vancouver Tuesday when defenceman Tyler Myers was handed a major for boarding and a game misconduct after running Giants defenceman Craig Schira face first into the end boards eight minutes into the final period.

Schira needed help to leave the ice after suffering a broken hand and a concussion. He also required 10 stitches to close some facial cuts.

The Giants scored 10 seconds into the five minute power-play to go up 4-2.

"He's a huge loss for us. He's been unbelievable," says Almond about losing Myers.

"It was frustrating and we knew we had a big kill there and they scored 10 seconds in which was a little heartbreaking but we battled back and that just showed our character."

The Giants scored a pair of first period power-play goals to take a 3-1 lead into the intermission.

Jonathon Blum and Evander Kane scored on the power-play before James Henry scored to make it 3-1, beating Mark Guggenberger high to the glove side on a breakaway with 1:02 left in the period.

Backlund replied for the Rockets with his seventh of the playoffs and fifth of the series.

The 19-year-old Swede scored a power-play goal late in the second, blazing through two Giants defenders before beating Tyson Sexsmith to cut the deficit to 3-2.

The goal set up what would be as hectic a period as fans in Kelowna have seen in quite some time.

"I'm proud of the way our guys played -- they had no quit. I thought it was a good character night for us when they scored their fourth goal but our guys didn't quit," says Rockets coach, Ryan Huska.

"They didn't have a lot of time left but they kept battling and battling and they found a way to win this game. A big time character effort is what it was."

Huska says Backlund really stepped his game up after a couple of sub par performances.

"You need your best players to step up and Mikael did that tonight. He was a little too quiet I think for his liking the last couple of games and tonight he was a big time difference maker. He scored some very big goals for us and even the one that made us wait for about five minutes."

The Rockets, who out shot Vancouver in four of the six games in the series, turned the trick again, holding the Giants to just 17 shots in out shooting them 32-17.

Huska says he thought in the end, his team wore down the Giants, much as they did the Tri-City Americans in the previous series.

"Vancouver is the team that typically puts up upwards of 35 shots a night and we didn't allow them to generate that much offence. I think we forced their back end to play in their own zone and they get tired as the game goes on."

Myers, who was a towering presence all series, was named the Most Valuable Player in the series.

The WHL Championship series will begin in Calgary with games one and two Friday and Saturday night.

The Rockets won't know until sometime Tuesday morning when games will be played in Kelowna. The league has yet to determine whether the series will be a 2-3-2 format or the traditional 2-2-1-1-1 format.

Either way, the Rockets will leave for Calgary sometime Wednesday.