QUICK HITS: Regular Season Finale

Winding Down: The Steelheads welcome the Utah Grizzlies to CenturyLink Arena for a pair of games this weekend, Idaho’s final two home games of the regular-season. The Steelheads have already locked up home ice advantage for the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs, while the Grizzlies are still four points out of a playoff spot and running out of time. Idaho heads into their final home series with a record of 21-9-4 at CenturyLink Arena, their 46 points on home ice one shy of their total from last season. With two wins this weekend, the Steelheads would reach 50 points in a season on home ice for the third time in eight seasons.

Playoff Bound: The Steelheads are headed to the playoffs for the 21st time in 21 seasons, the longest active playoff streak in professional hockey. The Steelheads’ clinched their spot in the post-season on the strength of a five-game winning streak, their longest regular-season winning streak in the last three seasons. No team in the ECHL has more than seven games remaining on their schedule, and eight playoff spots remain up for grabs.

The Common Opponent:  Speaking of playoff spots up for grabs, the final two berths in the Mountain Division are yet to be filled with four teams jockeying for position. Three of those teams have the Steelheads on their schedule over the final two weeks. The Utah Grizzlies are still four points out of the playoffs with two teams to leap over in Allen and Tulsa. The Oilers and Americans are tied for the final spot with 71 points, and the Steelheads finish the season with one game in Tulsa and two in Allen. The Oilers schedule also features games against Wichita, Kansas City, and Rapid City, while the Americans face Wichita and Colorado.

Big Brass: Brady Brassart is the ECHL’s reigning Player of the Week after collecting five points in two games against the Rush last week. Brassart is enjoying a career-season with 22 goals and 50 points in 45 games, already two more goals than he scored in his first 93 career ECHL games with Quad City. Brassart has five goals and 15 points in his last eleven contests.

One Shy: With five games remaining, Steve McParland sits at 29 goals. McParland seeks to become the eleventh Steelhead in the ECHL era to reach the 30-goal plateau. Anthony Luciani scored 31 a season ago for the Steelheads, and Wade MacLeod and Jason Bast both cracked 30 in 2014-15. McParland has six goals in his last ten games.