As the competition gets stiffer for the Toledo Walleye in the Kelly Cup playoffs, the team plans to steadily build on the blueprint it has followed in making this deep postseason run.

The Central Division champion Walleye have advanced to the Western Conference Final against Mountain Division champion Colorado. During the regular season, Toledo had the best record in the ECHL with 106 points. The Eagles finished third with 99.

Toledo, which eliminated rivals Fort Wayne and Kalamazoo in the first two rounds, faces its strongest test yet at 7:30 p.m. today at the Huntington Center in Game 1.

“This deep in the playoffs, every team is going to be tough,” veteran Evan Rankin said. 

“The focus for us needs to be on us and what we need to do to keep moving on. We just need to keep doing the little things right that we’ve been doing.”

Toledo led the ECHL in goals for per game (4.19) and goals against (2.65) during the regular season. Colorado ranked fifth in goals for (3.68) and fourth in goals against (2.86).

But the Eagles rank second in the postseason in goals per game at 3.45, followed closely by Toledo (3.42).

“Every round gets harder,” captain Alden Hirschfeld said. “The whole point is to continue to move forward and to get to the top to be the best. At this point, it’s four teams left and they are all good teams, so it’s going to be a war no matter what you’re lining up against.”

Something else will have to give. The Walleye are 7-0 at home in the playoffs, and Colorado is 6-0 on the road.

“They will come in a very confident group,” Walleye coach Dan Watson said. “They just beat the two-time defending champion. They are 6-0 on the road, so they are very comfortable away from their building. It’s going to be a huge test.”

The series features the top three scorers in the postseason. Colorado’s Alex Belzile leads the league with 17 points. Toledo’s Tyson Spink is second with 15, and Kyle Bonis is third with 14.

Both teams feature explosive offenses that have been opportunistic in the playoffs, finishing off odd-man rushes.

Toledo has utilized its quickness and creativity to pounce on loose pucks and convert on mistakes.

The Eagles feature big, physical defensemen. They also have a good, hard-working group of forwards who excel at scoring off the rush.

Toledo’s biggest bugaboos have been turning the puck over in its own end and a lack of a consistent, 60-minute effort. The Walleye have allowed 2.92 goals per game, and Colorado 2.82 per game in the postseason.

Fort Wayne and Kalamazoo attempted to get the Walleye off their high-skill game with physicality and intimidation. The Eagles also like to play hard and tough.

“We need to keep focused on us and do what we know makes us successful,” Rankin said. “We’re not thinking about them or worrying about them.”

The Walleye did not face Colorado during the regular season. Toledo topped the Eagles 4-3 at the Huntington Center in their only meeting, on Feb. 17, 2016. Walleye goalie Jake Paterson earned the win with 23 saves.

Paterson, who has been sidelined with a lower-body injury since April 25, practiced this week and likely will return after Game 2.

The Eagles advanced to the conference final for the first time in team history by knocking out Allen, which had won back-to-back Kelly Cup championships. Colorado advanced with a 4-3 win in Tuesday’s Game 6 of the Mountain Division Final, with former Walleye goalie Kent Simpson earning the victory.

Colorado’s other goaltendder is Toledoan Lukas Hafner, a 2010 Central Catholic graduate. Hafner went 3-2 with a 2.41 goal-against average in five games against Allen.

Toledo eliminated Fort Wayne in five games in the Central Division Final. This is the second trip to the conference finals in the past three seasons for the Walleye, who fell to South Carolina in seven games in the 2015 Eastern Conference Final. The franchise never has reached the Kelly Cup Final.

Against Fort Wayne, A.J. Jenks led the Walleye with four goals, sharing the team lead in points with Tyson Spink (two goals, two assists). Goalie Jeff Lerg went 4-1 with a 1.99 GAA and a save percentage of .936 against the Komets.

Toledo was pushed to the brink by Kalamazoo in the opening round before eliminating the Wings in Game 7. Toledo then had just two days of rest before facing Fort Wayne.

The Walleye have had five days off since knocking out the Komets. Colorado has had just two.

“Anytime you can get a little extra rest in the playoffs, it’s going to be to your advantage,” Rankin said. “The travel starts to add up. But it’s the conference finals, and everyone will come to play. Everyone is excited to get it going.”

Watson said his team could use the rest.

“It’s an opportunity for guys to re-energize,” he said. “We have to find that hunger button. It’s time to go.”

Watson said Game 5 on Saturday was his team’s best performance of the postseason.

“That was a solid performance,” he said. “I like where we are at if we play like that.”

Hirschfeld said the Walleye must bring team toughness and show up mentally and physically.

“It’s a new team and a new series, and we’ll be focused,” Hirschfeld said. “We’re one step closer. Everyone has the same goal and dream, so we’ll stick together and keep doing what we’ve done and stay focused.”

Hirschfeld said the coaches have drawn up a solid game plan.

“We’re learning about them and what to expect. But at the end of the day, it’s going to come down to us making sure we’re playing our game and sticking to our tenancies,” Hirschfeld said. “We’re not going to change who we are.”

The best-of-7 series will follow a 2-3-2 format.

“Everyone in this entire city wants to win a championship,” Rankin said. “That mindset drives you. It means so much to every guy in this room.”

Contact Mark Monroe at: mmonroe@theblade.com, 419-724-6354 or on Twitter @MonroeBlade.

First Published May 12, 2017, 4:14 a.m.