"There wasn't a lot of love for the Flyers," coach Peter Laviolette said. "But the guys didn't listen to that. I think we did show a tremendous amount of heart. They played hard every game. Even the game that we lost [Game 2], I thought we played hard - it was 3-3 with 5 or 6 minutes to go in the game. The guys deserve a tremendous amount of credit."
With the 4-1 series win, the seventh-seeded Flyers handed the Devils their third consecutive first round exit - and vilified their overrated superstar's guarantee.
"Talk is cheap," Chris Pronger said with a grin. "I guess you need to back it up. We were able to do that."
It was the first time the Flyers eliminated a playoff opponent with a shutout since April 16, 1987 when they beat the New York Rangers, 5-0, in the Patrick Division semifinals on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Flyers were 9-2 against the Devils this season. This time they won without Carter, who has a fractured right foot and Gagne, who has a broken right toe.
If the top-seeded Washington Capitals wrap up their 3-1 series lead over Montreal tonight, the Flyers would face the President's Trophy-winning Capitals beginning next week at the Verizon Center.
Not wanting to give the Devils any life in the wake of Carter's and Gagne's absence, Danny Briere gave the Flyers the start they needed just 3:16 into the game when he snuck a puck in between Marty Brodeur and the post thanks to a Claude Giroux spin-around pass.
"They came out with a lot of desperation," Briere said. "I think we did a good job matching up to that. I thought they came out pretty hard but that was something that we talked about in the room each period, being ready right from the get-go."
