PHILADELPHIA - First, Robert Esche outplayed Martin Brodeur. Now, he's outperforming Ed Belfour.

Esche made 26 saves and Alexei Zhamnov scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period, helping the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-1, to take a 2-0 series lead.

Game Three of the Eastern Conference semifinals series is Wednesday night in Toronto. The Flyers have never lost a best-of-seven series in which they won the first two games, going 16-0.

"Esche seems like he's on a mission of proving he's the goalie of the future," Flyers forward Jeremy Roenick said. "He's in a zone."

Esche has won six of his seven playoff starts, allowing just 11 goals on 205 shots. The 26-year-old Esche has bested two goalies that have won four Stanley Cups combined, including three championships for Brodeur, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner.

"These are two guys that have done it year in and year out, and are arguably the two best goalies of our time," Esche said of Brodeur and Belfour. "I don't look at like I'm playing against them. I'm playing against their team."