The Path The Idaho Steelheads Took To The 2023 Kelly Cup Finals
The Path The Idaho Steelheads Took To The 2023 Kelly Cup Finals
After four OT wins against Utah in the first round, Idaho needed just five games to beat both Allen and Toledo to get to this point in the ECHL Playoffs.
It doesn’t seem like that long ago that a series between the Idaho Steelheads and the Worcester Railers early in the regular season was set to determine who had the early momentum to be the favorite to win the Kelly Cup.
The Railers? They didn’t even make the postseason.
Idaho? Well, you likely know by now.
Yes, things went even better after they swept that early-December showdown, as they’ve since gone on to set ECHL records for wins and points in a single season en route to a Brabham Cup.
First round aside, it has been a relatively quick path through the postseason and into the Kelly Cup Finals.
After four straight overtime wins to get past Utah in the first round, the Steelheads have needed just five games to beat Allen and another five games to somewhat stunningly blow through Toledo to get to this point.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Mountain Division Semifinals
Idaho leads series 4-2
Game 1 – UTAH 3 at Idaho 0
Game 2 – UTAH 3 at Idaho 2
Game 3 – IDAHO 3 at Utah 2 (OT)
Game 4 – IDAHO 6 at Utah 5 (OT)
Game 5 – IDAHO 3 at Utah 2 (OT)
Game 6 – Utah 2 at IDAHO 3 (OT)
Mountain Division Finals
Idaho wins series 4-1
Game 1 – IDAHO 5 at Allen 4
Game 2 – Allen 2 at IDAHO 6
Game 3 – ALLEN 7 at Idaho 2
Game 4 – Allen 3 at IDAHO 9
Game 5 – Allen 0 at IDAHO 6
Western Conference Finals
Idaho wins series 4-1
Game 1 – Toledo 0 at IDAHO 3
Game 2 – Toledo 0 at IDAHO 3
Game 3 – Idaho 4 at TOLEDO 5
Game 4 – IDAHO 4 at Toledo 3
Game 5 - IDAHO 5 at Toledo 1
KEY MOVES ALONG THE WAY
For all intents and purposes, the Steelheads are playing with the group that’s gotten them to this point, with essentially no moves being made by head coach Everett Sheen at the trade deadline.
In short, it’s the moves that were made in the offseason that helped get them here, and perhaps none of those were more important than the signing of Wade Murphy, who leads all players with 20 points on 12 goals and eight assists in 16 games.
🚨WADE MURPHY🚨
— Idaho Steelheads (@Steelheads) May 27, 2023
Murphy's 2nd GOAL of the night at 35 seconds in the 3rd!!
🍏: White pic.twitter.com/joTlFsswE3
The 29-year-old forward had a five-teams-in-three-seasons run in the ECHL from 2016-2019, before taking his game to Europe for several years.
He came back a changed player, going from something of a bottom-6 afterthought, to helping to lead Idaho to being four wins away from its first championship in 16 years.