Stanley Cup Playoffs have 7th-game itch

Travis Zajac scored 5:39 into overtime and the Devils avoided elimination and sent another Eastern Conference first-round series to a seventh game with a 3-2 victory over the Panthers on Tuesday in Newark, N.J.

Steve Bernier and Ilya Kovalchuk also scored, and Martin Brodeur made 14 saves for New Jersey, which squandered a two-goal lead and had fans dreading another first-round playoff exit until Zajac scored from the right-hand circle.

The shot beat Scott Clemmensen to the lower corner and set off a mob scene on the ice.

Clemmensen was outstanding, stopping 39 shots in an emergency start for injured Jose Theodore. Kris Versteeg and Sean Bergenheim scored for Florida, which is looking for its first series win since 1996.

The Devils outshot Florida 4216, including 29-10 in the first 40 minutes. The Panthers scored on two of their four shots in the second period.

Game 7 will be played in Sunrise, Fla., on Thursday.

Two other series in the conference are also headed to Game 7s. Washington will be at secondseeded

Radio: 680 TV: CSNBA, unless noted Boston on Wednesday, and Ottawa will be at the top-seeded Rangers on Thursday. Briefly: Jiri Tlusty signed a twoyear contract worth $3.2 million to stay with the Hurricanes. … Ottawa’s Daniel Alfredsson, Toronto’s Joffrey Lupul and Montreal’s Max Pacioretty were named finalists for the Masterton Trophy, awarded for “perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication.”

Radio: 95.7 TV: CSNCA, unless noted