Do not think for an instant that goaltender Martin Brodeur was okay with being pulled from Game 3 of the Devils’ Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Florida Panthers.

He was seething inside.

What sets Brodeur apart from virtually everyone else who has ever put on the pads and mask is the way he somehow is able to channel that inner anger into historic performances.

Emphatically answering those who wondered how he’d respond, Brodeur broke Patrick Roy’s Stanley Cup playoff record by posting his 24th career shutout Thursday night at the Prudential Center and the Devils evened their best-of-seven series at two games apiece with a 4-0 victory over the Panthers.

“What separates him from ordinary goalies isn’t just his talent, it’s his mental makeup,” Devils coach Pete DeBoer said. “That’s what has allowed him to play at the level he has for as long as he has. He’s just mentally tougher and is able to handle those highs and lows without affecting his game.”

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Two motivators were at work here. Brodeur was going against his former backup, Scott Clemmensen, who brought a 5-0 record against the Devils into the game. More importantly was the 39-year-old goalie’s pride.

“What happened last game, you don’t even lose the game (Johan Hedberg took the loss) and you’re getting pulled,” Brodeur said. “There’s a different motive (for the coach) behind it.

“It was disappointing to let a three-goal lead go, but you have to take everything in stride. It’s hard. I mean, I’m not Superman here. You get affected by certain things that happen to you.”

He chose to look at video of his performance, talk to his current (Chris Terreri) and former (Jacques Caron) goalie coaches and practice hard.

“I looked closely at what happened in Game 3 and I felt pretty good about myself,” he said. “I worked hard in practice just to make sure there was no doubt in my mind that I was still able to stop a puck. I was able to.”

He stopped 26 shots while getting help from a penalty-killing unit that was 6-for-6.

"When your penalty kill is fragile you need your goalie to make big saves and he did that," captain Zach Parise said.

It was Parise who snapped a scoreless tie at 6:08 of the second period. Travis Zajac tipped a shot from Marek Zidlicky and when Parise also got his stick on it, Clemmensen was unable to react.

It was the first of two power-play goals from the Devils, the second coming from Ilya Kovalchuk at 8:32 of the third period.

In between, fourth-line winger Steve Bernier and Zajac scored 1:33 apart during a three-goal third period.

“I think we were more focused and more disciplined, obviously,” Patrik Elias said. “Our power play was good and so was the PK.”

And so was their goalie.

“I expected him to play like this. There’s a reason why he has every record,” defenseman Bryce Salvador said of Brodeur. “I don’t think there was any doubt in anyone’s mind. He was the best player on the ice.”

New Jersey Devils vs. Florida Panthers Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoffs 37 Gallery: New Jersey Devils vs. Florida Panthers Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoffs

Brodeur called the win “a sigh of relief” for the Devils. Game 5 is tomorrow night at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.

DeBoer said he knew the moment he pulled Brodeur from Game 3 that he’d come right back with him. His teammates never worried.

“There are always going to be critics,” Parise said. “We have all the confidence in the world in him. After last game I’m sure there was going to be people saying whatever they want to say. We don’t care. He doesn’t care. I’ve seen it the last seven years and he’s always responded.”

It’s what sets him apart.

Rich Chere: rchere@starledger.com; twitter.com/Ledger_NJDevils