The Flyers, who don't seem to know they're supposed to lose, are halfway there.

"The guys in the room believe," said goaltender Marty Biron, who continues to channel Monsieur Bernard Parent. "It is all part of the buying into the journey that we're on. It's something special."

What's the French for understatement?

These Flyers had the worst season in their history a year ago. Now they are in the final four. They had the worst record in the NHL a year ago. Now they have knocked off the No. 1 seed to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

"Last year?" said R.J. Umberger, who scored two goals last night and a stunning total of eight in the five-game series. "We almost didn't make the playoffs this year. We had to fight at the end of the season to get in."

What's the French for destiny?

The Flyers expected the Canadiens' best, and they got it. Montreal never led during the first four games - it won Game 1 with an overtime goal. The Habs scored first last night and opened a 3-1 lead midway through the second period.

The Flyers outscored them, 5-1, after that. The arena went from Mardi Gras to mausoleum in two ticks shy of three minutes. Mike Richards and Umberger scored to tie the game, then Scott Hartnell fired a rocket past Carey Price to give the Flyers a 4-3 lead.

Price, back in the net after being benched for Game 4, told reporters he was using a new glove for Game 5. He didn't mention it was Bill Buckner's.

Since beating the Habs in Philadelphia on Wednesday, the Flyers promised, hands on heart, that they had learned their lesson from the first-round series against Washington. A three-games-to-one series lead can turn into overtime of Game 7 before you can say "Alex Ovechkin."

"We talked continually about that," Umberger said. "The fourth win is the hardest one to get. The Canadiens are too good. We didn't want to give them a chance."

Promise kept. The Flyers played their best complete game of this series. So, too, did the Canadiens.

The third period, with the score tied at 4, was a thrill ride. There was a stretch of more than nine minutes without a stoppage of play.

Danny Briere was stopped on a breakaway. Vinny Prospal shot wide of a net so open, he raised his stick in celebration before he realized he missed. Joffrey Lupul fired a nasty wrist shot from the slot.

The Canadiens had their chances, too. A penalty was called on Jason Smith, giving Montreal a perfect opportunity. The Flyers killed the power play. Biron made a brilliant save on Tomas Plekanec. Guillaume Latendresse hit the crossbar from 10 feet away.

Finally, Jeff Carter fired a shot that glanced off Scottie Upshall's stick and into the net. Mike Knuble ended the tension with an empty-net goal in the final minute.

"I jumped in the air when I saw that," Biron said. "I knew that was big."

The Canadiens will wake up this morning and wonder exactly how their off-season got here. They outplayed the Flyers for most of the series and couldn't beat Biron. The Flyers were outshot by a wide margin in the first four games, but they scored just enough to build that 3-1 series lead.

They buried the Canadiens on hallowed hockey ground, and with them, one hopes, the idea that there is a conspiracy to help Canadian teams in the playoffs. Two of the Flyers' goals were reviewed. Both counted. The Canadiens had that third-period power play, but the Flyers had a five-on-three earlier.

If there's a conspiracy, the NHL needs to try harder. This will be the 15th year in a row without a Canadian team lifting the Stanley Cup.

It was especially gratifying for Briere and Biron to win here. As French Canadians, they drew special attention from the fans here.

"Dan and I were booed out of a café last night," Biron said. "We were smiling the whole way. It's fun. It's what makes this special."

"I grew up a Canadiens fan," said Briere, who turned down Montreal's offer last year in order to sign with the Flyers. "I always wanted to play here in the playoffs. To win, that's just all the more sweet."

The Flyers will relax today instead of playing Game 6. They will watch Pittsburgh play the New York Rangers for the right to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

The Flyers will be waiting. Halfway to the Cup.

for columnist Phil Sheridan at http://forums.philly.com/phil_sheridan. Or by e-mail: psheridan@phillynews.com.