He pumped his fist. He had both hands in the air. Seven seconds later, Esche had backstopped a team to a playoff series win.

"I was very excited that we won," Esche said. "We battled hard, and I was excited to finally win the series."

Esche was brilliant in this series, perhaps the number one reason why the Flyers won it. He literally stole Game 4, and he was rock solid in the clincher Saturday.

"We know as well as anyone that good goaltending can win you a Stanley Cup," said Devils center Patrik Elias, who fired five shots at Esche without success. "You can cut it however you want - he stepped up, and we didn't get lucky. He didn't give us many chances. He did a great job in this series."

Brodeur offered Esche only the quickest congratulations during the postgame handshake, but later he credited his opponent's resolve.

"I knew he was a good goalie," Brodeur said. "He's definitely solid in the net. But so was [Roman] Cechmanek last year. Definitely, for them, until they win the Stanley Cup, they will blame the goalie."

Brodeur is wrong in that Esche in this series was far better than Cechmanek last year. But he's right in that playing goalie for the Flyers is a demanding position in a harsh spotlight. And when you play it well, you do get the hero treatment.

"I didn't know it could get that loud in here," Esche said. "I could feel the ice shake."

For the series, Esche stopped 146 of 155 shots - a .942 save percentage - and allowed just 1.81 goals per game.

"It was the same thing he showed us during the regular season - that he could steal a game, that he is a tremendous athlete, that he's very, very competitive," Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock said. "When he's allowed to stay in the moment - like the playoffs are - he can be very efficient and very effective."

Esche definitely seemed shaken by the public criticism to a late-season slump. But after a stellar performance, he backed away from any chance to crow.

"I'm excited we won, but I'm sure nobody here is just looking for one series," Esche said. "When you are up three to one, you always have it in the back of your head that you are going to win.