The Komets finally know who they will face in the ECHL’s Western Conference finals: the defending champion Allen Americans.

The Americans won 5-1 on Tuesday to complete their best-of-seven series with the top-seeded Missouri Mavericks 3-2.

The Komets will have home-ice advantage in the next series, which begins with games Friday and Sunday at Memorial Coliseum.

The only team remaining in the playoffs that would have home-ice advantage over the Komets would be South Carolina, which will face Adirondack in the seventh game of an Eastern Conference semifinals series.

There are some interesting facets of this series …

-- The teams haven’t met since 2012.

-- This is Fort Wayne’s first trip to the conference finals in four ECHL seasons.

-- Allen’s Chad Costello was the ECHL’s scoring champion and MVP during the regular season.

-- After the Komets won the Central Hockey League’s title in 2012, the Americans won it in 2013 and 2014 before moving to the ECHL. Komets captain Jamie Schaafsma was a member of those three Allen championships, captaining them last season.

-- Allen’s coach, Steve Martinson, is an old foe of Fort Wayne. He coached against the Komets with Rockford of the United Hockey League, including some memorable playoff series between 2004 and 2007. He’s won titles as a coach nine times – with San Diego of the West Coast Hockey League, Rockford and Allen.

-- Allen’s roster includes former Fort Wayne player Tristan King.

-- The Komets haven’t played since completed their sweep of Utah with a 5-3 victory Friday in West Valley City, Utah.

Here’s the series schedule

Western Conference finals

Komets vs. Allen

Best-of-seven series

Game 1, Friday, at Memorial Coliseum 8 p.m.

Game 2, Sunday, at the Coliseum 6 p.m.

Game 3, May 19, at Allen 8 p.m.

Game 4, May 21, at Allen, 8 p.m.

Game 5, May 22, at Allen 5 p.m. *

Game 6, May 24, at the Coliseum 7:30 p.m.*

Game 7, May 26, at the Coliseum 7:30 p.m.*

*if necessary

jcohn@jg.net