The Idaho Steelheads will take on the Allen Americans in the first round of the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs. This is one of the two Mountain Division semifinals. The others will feature the Kansas City Mavericks and Tulsa Oilers. 

Veteran ECHL writer Justin Cohn breaks it all down and tells you what you should keep an eye on during the series.

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Mountain Division Semifinals

No. 2 Idaho Steelheads (48-20-4) Vs. No. 3 Allen Americans (33-35-4)

Game 1 – Monday, April 22 at 7:10 p.m. MT at Idaho
Game 2 – Wednesday, April 24 at 7:10 p.m. MT at Idaho
Game 3 – Friday, April 26 at 7:10 p.m. CT at Allen
Game 4 – Saturday, April 27 at 4:10 p.m. CT at Allen
Game 5 – Sunday, April 28 at 4:10 p.m. CT at Allen (If Necessary)
Game 6 – Tuesday, April 30 at 7:10 p.m. MT at Idaho (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Wednesday, May 1 at 7:10 p.m. MT at Idaho (If Necessary)

Idaho And Allen Top Scorers

Idaho’s A.J. White had 27 goals and 66 points, while teammate Wade Murphy had 25 goals and 66 points, during the regular season; Allen’s Colby McAuley had 25 goals and 63 points during the regular season.

What You Need To Know About The Idaho Steelheads

After following up their record-breaking 2022-2023 regular season with a trip to the Kelly Cup finals, where they were swept by the Florida Everblades, the Steelheads have put together another fantastic regular season. 

They’ve made the playoffs in 18 of 19 seasons. 

Now, we’ll see if they can finish it off with their first Cup since 2007. 

The pressure on the Steelheads to perform seems less this postseason compared to last year’s, since now it’s the division-rival Kansas City Mavericks everyone expects to cruise. 

Idaho comes into the playoffs on a five-game winning streak, during which it has averaged 4.4 goals per game – above its No. 2-ranked season average of 4.21 goals per game. 

Idaho went 8-3-0 against the Americans during the regular season, but the teams haven’t met since Idaho swept a three-game set Jan. 31-Feb. 3 in Boise, Idaho. Ty Pelton-Byce had a team-best six goals against the Americans during the regular season.

What You Need To Know About The Allen Americans

The Americans looked out of the playoff race when they lost 9 of 11 games between March 8 and March 29, but since then, they’ve been terrific with a 6-1-1 record. 

Allen is the only team in the postseason with a below-.500 record at home and on the road. The Americans are 17-18-1 at Credit Union of Texas Event Center and 16-17-3 away from it. 

Coach Chad Costello, one of the ECHL’s all-time great players, jumped directly from playing to being the head coach in 2022. He has compiled a 70-67-7 record and overseen the growth of several terrific young players. 

Last year, he got the Americans to the division finals, where they lost 4-1 to the Steelheads and their coach, Everett Sheen.

Two Players To Watch In Idaho-Allen Series

Idaho’s Mark Rassell only played 43 ECHL games this season, but he had a whopping 32 goals. He was the early front-runner for ECHL MVP – an award that hasn’t yet been given out – before he started getting called up to the AHL. 

Rassell is smart, unafraid to go to the net and didn’t take a single penalty this season for the Steelheads. 

Allen’s Hank Crone has at least one point in his last 10 ECHL games, totaling three goals and 13 points. He was the American’s leading scorer against Idaho during the regular season, accruing six goals and 13 points in nine games. 

The ECHL’s MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2023, Crone is thrilling to watch, and since returning to the Allen lineup April 5 – after being out for two months – the Americans have been a much more dangerous squad.  

X-Factor For The Idaho-Allen Series

Power plays. 

Idaho has the top-ranked power-play unit in the ECHL at 28.5% efficiency. That’s particularly noteworthy, since Allen isn’t exactly known for clean play; it averaged 16.82 penalty minutes during the regular season, second in the ECHL. 

And Allen’s penalty kill ranked 18th at 78.2% efficiency. 

The Americans are going to have to lock in on the Steelheads’ power-play wizards, including blue-liners Patrick Kudla, who won ECHL Defenseman of the Year this week, and Matt Register. 

Allen’s power play ranks 14th at 20.2% efficiency, but that’s a deceptive number because the lineup today isn’t what it was for much of the season. Defenseman Kris Myllari did damage on the power play with six goals and 28 points there.

Idaho Steelheads Vs. Allen Americans Predictions

This isn’t the best matchup for Idaho, since Allen, when it’s on its game, is one of the few teams that can keep up with the Steelheads offensively. But Allen is going to have to stay out of the penalty box, and I’m not convinced that’s going to happen. Idaho wins in six games. 

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