CINCINNATI — As in most playoff series in hockey, goaltending played a decisive role in the outcome of the Toledo Walleye’s 4-1 Central Division final series win against top-seeded Cincinnati.

The series pitted two veteran goalies with vast amounts of postseason experience. The Walleye won the final three games against the Brabham Cup champion Cyclones, taking the best-of-7 series 4-1.

Pat Nagle once again was spectacular in the clinching game Saturday at U.S. Bank Arena, stopping 36 of 37 shots.

He had 14 saves in the first period, when Cincinnati, which had finished with the ECHL’s best regular-season record and had lost just twice in regulation at home, came out desperate. Nagle followed with seven stops in the second and 15 more in the pivotal third period as the veteran made several fantastic plays late in Toledo’s 2-1, Game 5 win.

“First, we have to start acknowledging Nags back there,” said forward Greg Wolfe, who scored the game-winning goal Saturday.

“He played another unbelievable game. He’s our backbone right now. He’s given us every chance to come back in games.”

Nagle has put together perhaps the best postseason of his eight-year career, playing in all 11 games as the Walleye have advanced to the Western Conference final series.

The 31-year-old veteran has posted an 8-3 record in the Kelly Cup playoffs. He ranks second in the ECHL in goals-against average (1.68) and is third in save percentage (.941).

“He was massive,” Walleye coach Dan Watson said after Game 5. “This was the best I’ve seen him play. He’s in a great spot. Our guys are extremely confident in front of him.”

Nagle went 4-1 against Cincinnati and goaltender Michael Houser, who was coming off a fantastic regular season in which he was named the ECHL goalie of the year. But Houser (5-6) finished the 2019 postseason with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.

Nagle, a native of Bloomfield, Mich., and Ferris State University product, has led his teams to the playoffs every season and all have advanced past the first round.

Houser, a 26-year-old native of Youngstown, just completed his seventh pro season and was in his third postseason, being named to the All-ECHL first team this season. He led all ECHL goaltenders with a record of 29-7-5, and was second with a 2.13 goals-against average. He also placed fourth in the ECHL with a .922 save percentage.

“They are both high-end goaltenders,” Walleye coach Dan Watson said. “They’ve been around long enough that they understand what it takes to win big games.”

Cincinnati coach Matt Thomas agreed both goalies had moments where they kept their teams in the games during the series.

“I thought both goalies were great,” Thomas said. “Obviously Nagle was really, really good. They have both been good. They have kept both teams right in it. The goaltenders made it difficult on the skill guys in this series.”

Cincinnati finished the regular season with the highest scoring offense in the ECHL, averaging 3.92 goals per game. But Nagle allowed just 10 goals in five games (2.00 per contest).

Toledo will face Tulsa in the conference final series, which will begin Friday at the Huntington Center. The Oilers eliminated Idaho on Sunday with a 3-1 victory.

The Walleye-Oilers series will follow a 2-3-1-1 format. Tulsa finished with one more point, with 90, than Toledo in the regular season to earn the conference’s No. 2 seed.

Nagle played three seasons for Fort Wayne from 2014-17 before signing with Toledo before last season. Behind a strong performance from Nagle, the Walleye ousted the Komets in the first round 4-2.

The unflappable veteran has appeared in 54 ECHL playoff games. In his rookie season in 2011-12, Nagle helped lead Florida to the Kelly Cup. That same season, he then was part of the Norfolk Admirals’ American Hockey League title team.

Watson said Nagle benefited from a late call-up at the end of the regular season to Grand Rapids, Toledo’s American Hockey League affiliate.

“That was big. He was able to spend a lot of time with the goaltending coach up there,” Watson said. “He has a set routine and set structure and technicalities down. That helped him out a lot.”

He said Nagle, who had a career 2017-18 season for the Walleye when he finished with a franchise record 37 wins, now has a sound approach to the game.

“He’s confident right now,” Watson said.

Watson said both goalies are good at stopping the first shot.

“They always get squared to it, they see it and stop it,” Watson said. “From there it’s a battle of wills in front [of the net].

“The only way to get at these guys is second-chance opportunities. If there are any rebounds, you have to be ready for those.”