(My Sportsbook) - Maybe we've finally heard the last of the Ottawa Senators' past playoff failure.

If not, something's wrong.

The Sens advanced to their first-ever Eastern Conference final with a dominating 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of their semifinal set on Monday. Maybe the Flyers had emptied the reserve tank in their Game 4 win and had nothing left, but Ottawa nonetheless skated circles around them all night and showed us why they won the Presidents' Trophy during the regular season.

The Flyers weren't finishing their checks. The Sens were. The Flyers couldn't break through the neutral zone all night. The Sens could. The Flyers didn't take care of the puck. The Sens did.

After splitting the first four installments of the series, the Senators had an awakening prior to Game 5 and out-everythinged the Flyers in the final two tilts, which included a 10-3 advantage in goals.

"I think we definitely took control. We didn't play very good in the first four games but we found ways to win," said Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson, who scored four goals in the series. "Special teams was unbelievable throughout the whole series. In Games 5 and 6 we were skating very well. I feel [the Flyers] looked a little more tired and we were able to take advantage of that."

The "unbelievable" special teams play Alfredsson spoke of essentially was the difference in the set. Philadelphia went a horrid 0-for-17 on the power play in six games, while Ottawa scored six goals with the man-advantage and two while shorthanded.

"We got beat in the special teams, soundly," said Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock. "Their power play and penalty kill were better -- that's the thing I am disappointed in. Those are your key players that have to go out there and get it done. [The Senators] made skilled plays on the power play."

Those special teams deficiencies were on full display in the first period when the Flyers, after giving up an early goal to Peter Schaefer as a result of a turnover, had a golden chance to tie the game. Ottawa's Shaun Van Allen was sent off for hooking and Philly had its first power play of the contest.

But with another harmless man-advantage winding down, the Sens' Wade Redden cleared the puck around the boards and, after Flyers defenseman Marcus Ragnarsson tipped it, Mike Fisher corralled the disc and sprinted up the left side. Ragnarsson tried to cut down the angle, but Fisher managed an off wing wrister that beat goaltender Roman Cechmanek under the right arm.

After not holding a first-period lead all series, the Senators suddenly found themselves up two goals.

"We like playing with the lead," said Redden, who finished with two assists Monday. "We hadn't had it too much in the first period in this series. We came out hard and got a few good goals and took over from there."

Ottawa then transformed into the defensive machine that limited the Flyers to two goals during last spring's playoffs. The neutral zone was clogged and Philadelphia often had no choice but to harmlessly dump and chase.

"We wanted to see how they would handle coming from behind, and they looked like they didn't have the energy they needed to push through," said Alfredsson.

Alfredsson and Co. now must focus on an even taller task, knocking off the New Jersey Devils, who are in their third conference final in four seasons. The Devils have a strong pedigree within the dressing room and their timeless formula has led to two Stanley Cups and a third trip to the Finals since 1995.

Despite the fact that this is uncharted waters for most of the Senators, they are by no means satisfied with merely getting through two rounds.

"We did a good job to win the first round, and now the second round," said Alfredsson. "But if we would lose in the third round I don't think we would feel any better than if we lost in the second round. We got a good thing going, but we have to keep pushing.

"It is just a good thing that we get a couple days to rest now, and focus on the next round."

No announcement has been made as to when the conference final series will begin at the Corel Centre, but the Devils will have had the most rest when the set begins. New Jersey has been off since Friday's Game 5 win over Tampa Bay, and the club has hardly been challenged in two rounds.

The Devs will bring with them the suffocating defensive style that has succeeded for the past decade, and the Sens will counter with the terrific balance of size and speed that seems to be the prototype for a 21st Century hockey club.

Proof or promise? Take your pick.