updated 1:58 a.m. ET May 6, 2007

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - First Sid the Kid and the Pittsburgh Penguins got the boot. Now Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils are done.

It took the Ottawa Senators all of 10 games to advance to the Eastern Conference finals and finally deliver in the playoffs after a decade of disappointing failures.

Jason Spezza scored the go-ahead goal and set up another by Daniel Alfredsson in a three-goal second period as Ottawa beat the Devils 3-2 on Saturday night and won the series in five games.

“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves,” Senators general manager John Muckler said. “We played awfully well this series and the Pittsburgh series. I don’t think we’re the same team as in the past. The chemistry in the locker room is much better. It’s just a group of guys who believe in themselves and are working.

“There is a process to this winning,” Muckler added. “You have to learn it. You just can’t turn it on.”

What the Senators did against the Devils and Penguins was play solidly in all phases. They got great goaltending from Ray Emery, outstanding play from their top line of Spezza, Alfredsson and Dany Heatley, solid defense (11 goals in five games) and timely plays from their role players.

It was all there on Saturday when Ottawa sent the Devils packing in what might’ve been their last game at the Continental Airlines Arena.

Emery, who showed no effects from a minor automobile accident in Ottawa on Friday, made 27 saves to cap a series in which he clearly outplayed Brodeur, who set an NHL record with 48 wins this season.

Spezza and Alfredsson got the big goals. The defense limited New Jersey to two goals or less for the third straight game, and checking line left wing Antoine Vermette ignited the big second period with a great play to set up his own goal.

Special feature Schedule, stats, player breakdowns, pick

“I think there were a lot of questions from a lot of people,” Alfredsson said about Ottawa’s reputation for posteason fades going into these playoffs. “But I felt the way we played in the regular season we could do some damage. I think after the Pittsburgh series we gained confidence and the same thing here. But we have to start over again the next round. We have to be humble, but we also know we are a good team.”

The Senators will face either the Buffalo Sabres or New York Rangers in the conference final with the winner earning a trip to the Stanley Cup finals. While Ottawa has been to the playoffs the last 10 years, it has never made it to the finals. The only time they made the conference finals, the Devils beat them in seven games en route to winning the Cup.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Rough play on the ice, killing giants on the hardwood, a wild boat ride, and more. more photos

Scott Gomez scored twice for the Devils, who have not gotten past the second round in the last three postseasons.

“You pay the price when you don’t score goals also,” said Brodeur, who had 21 saves. “Everything was magnified. It’s fun that we’re in a position that people can complain about our game. A lot of teams don’t have that chance.”

The three-time Stanley Cup champions Devils will start a new era next season. The team is moving to a new arena in Newark and general manager Lou Lamoriello, who fired Claude Julien as coach in the final week of the regular season, will have to hire a new coach.

“We played well,” Devils center John Madden said. “We did some good things. In the first period we dominated. Second period, they scored three goals. Plays that didn’t seem that dangerous turned into the back of the net.”

Vermette made the biggest play of Game 5, keeping the puck in the Devils’ zone early in the second period and eventually tipping a shot by defenseman Tom Preissing past Brodeur to tie the score at 1-all.

The goal took the air out of the crowd. The Senators, who were outshot 11-3 in the first period, took over from there.

MORE FROM NHL

NHL Section Front

Ovechkin an All-Star, but Caps coach still irked NHL All-Star rosters, statistics Live updates on Thursday's NHL games Bruins pull away to beat Senators Red Wings rout Stars, 6-1 Flyers come home, beat Wild Predators beat slumping Penguins Pens sign Jordan Staal through 2012-13 season Sundin preparing for home debut with Canucks   Video: See Senator bite Sabre's thumb NHL Section Front   Add NHL headlines to your news reader: