BRANDON, Man. - Kelowna may have bested the Brandon Wheat Kings in Game 1 of the Western Hockey League final, but Rockets defenceman Josh Morrissey knows it's going to be a long series.

The Western Conference champions opened the WHL final on Friday with a 4-3 victory over host Brandon to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

"There's a reason why it's a seven-game series," said the Winnipeg Jets prospect. "We are going to take it one game at a time, we are happy with our effort but there's a lot of work yet to be done."

Both teams were nearly identical statistically during the regular season. They finished 1-2 in the standings, 1-2 on the power play and both owned 12-3 records heading into the series.

It's no surprise that both teams took some time to feel each other out.

"It's certainly what happened in the first 10 minutes or so," said Rockets head coach Dan Lambert. "Once the guys realized that it was just another hockey game, then we started playing."

Tyson Baillie, Justin Kirkland and Chance Braid scored for the Rockets before Leon Draisaitl recorded the game winner in the dying moments of the second period.

Rihards Bukarts scored twice and Peter Quenneville had a goal for the Wheat Kings.

Jackson Whistle made 24 saves for his 10th win of the post-season for the Rockets. Brandon netminder Jordan Papirny stopped 36 shots in a losing effort.

"I thought we didn't have consistency from our effort tonight," said Wheat Kings head coach Kelly McCrimmon. "We had some looks in the third where we could have tied the game but we can be better and we will be better."

Brandon got on the scoreboard first as newly minted WHL rookie of the year Nolan Patrick showed his excellent vision with a slick feed cross-ice to Bukarts on the power play. Bukarts buried the puck high glove side on Whistle for the 1-0 lead at the 4:58 mark of the first period.

The Rockets fired back on their first power play of the game later in the first. Baillie poked home his 10th of the playoffs after a mad scramble in front of Papirny at 17:41.

Kirkland scored his third of the playoffs on a blast from the top of the circle that trickled through the pads of Papirny 52 seconds into the second period to give Kelowna a 2-1 lead.

"The way we came out at the start of the second is the way we wanted to start the first," said Lambert. "It was a little bit late but it happened, regardless."

Braid jammed home his fourth of the playoffs to put the Rockets ahead by two only 27 seconds later.

"We gave up two goals basically in the first minute of the second period, we gave up a goal in the last minute of the second period so you can't do those things," said McCrimmon.

Brandon cut the Rockets' lead in half on the power play through Quenneville's eighth at 15:58. Bukarts' second of the game tied the game two minutes later, but Draisaitl took the lead right back for Kelowna 55 seconds after that with his seventh of the post-season.

Brandon's best chance to tie the game came at the midway mark of the third period as Patrick centred a puck on Whistle's doorstep, but Tanner Kaspick couldn't get his stick on it in time for the easy tap home.

"Too many ups-and-downs," said Patrick. "If we didn't have those ups-and-downs, it would have been a 3-3 game going into the third. We've got to be better tomorrow and ready to respond."

Game 2 goes Saturday in Brandon.