BOISE, Idaho — This began long before now.

It started 10 months ago back in the summer when the Colorado Eagles took a hard look at themselves. The organization chose to affiliate with the Colorado Avalanche, a decision made by president and general manager Chris Stewart, who also stepped away from the bench after helping build the Eagles into what they had become.

He handed the reigns over to former player and assistant coach Aaron Schneekloth, allowing Stewart more time to focus on the business side of things as well as constructing a roster with enough talent to win.

After a long and at times grueling season, all the hard work of the past year culminated Saturday night as Colorado beat the Idaho Steelheads 6-3 in Game 5, advancing to the second round of the postseason for the first time since joining the ECHL six years ago, fittingly against a team that twice eliminated them in the opening round.

“To get past that first round isn’t easy. Trust me when I say that,” said Stewart, who served as the club’s head coach in all five first–round exits in the ECHL.

“Having this first-round victory after having some very tough decisions, it feels good. I have to admit that. There’s a lot of people that put in a lot of hours just to get this team on the ice, nevermind one that’s going to win enough games to make the playoffs or be looked at as a contender.”

Ghosts of the past never affected this season’s team, a heavy roster turnover that only features three players with multiple postseason appearances in an Eagles sweater.

A healthy blend of young AHL assignees and a hardened core veterans of professional hockey, with championship experience, to go with a fresh voice of a first-year head coach, the Eagles closed a rough chapter in the organization’s history while carrying no burden from it.

“That’s never weighed on my shoulders or been on my mind this year. In the past I felt we had teams capable of doing better, but this is a new team and I think this is a special team,” Schneekloth said. “It’s a great feeling and the first step in what we’re trying to accomplish. I’m just so proud of how hard our players responded after losing the first game at home. They found a way.”

It wasn’t smooth sailing for Colorado through the opening round of the postseason, falling behind at home and needing a pair of clutch comebacks to avoid a potential two-game hole and even series.

Yet the fourth win, one in which Schneekloth felt would be the hardest to one to grasp, came the easiest.

A blistering opening period set the stage for Colorado’s historic victory as the Eagles blitzed Idaho for three goals less than 12 minutes into the contest with Idaho turning to Braden Komm in net after Landon Bow started the previous four games. The Eagles picked right up where they left off offensively the previous night when a three-goal third powered an incredible 6-5 comeback win in overtime.

Rookie Julien Nantel, a seventh-round NHL draft selection of the Colorado Avalanche, netted his third score in as many games with only 1:42 off the clock to provide Colorado the first goal of contest for just the second time in the series.

Luke Salazar would notch his first goal of the postseason 4 minutes later on the power play and Cam Maclise buried his initial playoff score midway through the frame as the Eagles snagged a commanding 3-0 advantage.

“We talked as a group that it was important for us to come out very strong, especially the first 10 minutes. For us to get a couple goals right away obviously gave us a bit of a cushion and the confidence we needed to finish the right way,” Schneekloth said. “There have been a lot of lessons learned here by this group in five games and what it’s going to take to move forward.”

Idaho would respond in the final minute of the first period with a power-play goal of its own to cut the deficit, however, Maclise’s second of the game kept the Eagles ahead by three. The Steelheads mounted a mini-rally with back-to-back goals in the second to move with one at 4-3, but Alex Belzile’s team-leading fifth score of the series on the 5-on-3 advantage effectively hammered Idaho’s season closed.

An empty-netter from Ryan Harrison capped off a strong final frame for Colorado, which needed to kill a pair of penalties and hold off the Steelheads’ desperate efforts at survival, outshooting the Eagles 37-25 in defeat.

Rookie goaltender Lukas Hafner was up to task to earn his fourth straight victory in his postseason debut, turning aside 34 shots.

The Eagles often looked the stronger side for most of the series, yet Idaho did well to capitalize more on its chances, especially in the early games. But Colorado proved to be a resilient group all season long and that characteristic shined through, all the while players began to gain more chemistry and the scoring output increased, at no time more evident than Game 4’s stunning conclusion with four goals in 3:09 to rally from behind at take a 3-1 series lead.

Colorado did it the hard way, losing home ice advantage with a loss in the opener, forcing the Eagles to get at least one on the road. But taking all three didn’t seem to be in the cards.

“Obviously we prepare and we want our guys to play so we have an opportunity to win every game, but Idaho is a good team that all year played us extremely hard,” Schneekloth said. “That makes this satisfying. I’m real proud of the guys for what they accomplished here. It’s a tough place to play.”

And it’s only going to get harder. The second round is here. Where two-time defending champion Allen awaits.

Cris Tiller: 970-669-5401, tillerc@reporter-herald.com or twitter.com/cristiller

Eagles 6, Steelheads 3

At CenturyLink Arena

Colorado321—6