Gerry Broome / AP

New Jersey's Travis Zajac, left, scores the winning goal in overtime, giving the Devils a road victory and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

They were undeterred while facing an amped-up crowd of Caniacs soaking up their first home playoff game since winning Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup finals and looking to continue the momentum of their 2-1 OT win two nights earlier.

“All (the games) are important, (but) for us to come down here after that tough loss and get this one was big,” Parise said. “We had a lot of great chemistry, and hopefully, we can stick with it.”

Rolston and the Devils silenced them, albeit only temporarily. Rolston delivered a key wakeup call with a behind-the-net collision moments before Paul Martin uncorked a shot that clicked off Parise and through Ward’s legs with 13:25 left for his third goal of the series.

But that lead lasted all of 31 seconds, because a fortuitous Carolina misplay helped Bayda even it at 1-all. Scott Walker stopped and started behind the net before passing toward the slot to Jussi Jokinen, and when the Finn fanned on his shot, the puck went through his legs and Bayda was there to wrist it high past Brodeur.

“Our compete level was there. We battled back. We just didn’t get it done in overtime,” Carolina center Eric Staal said. “A win is a win (and) a loss is a loss in the playoffs. You’ve got to leave (the final result), no matter what.”

Notes: Rolston hit the left post with a wrist shot with 6½ minutes left in regulation. ... Martin has points in all three games for New Jersey. ... Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher sounded the siren that announces the Hurricanes’ pregame entrance. Cowher played at North Carolina State and lives in Raleigh. ... N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien also was in attendance. ... Carolina scratched D Dennis Seidenberg for the second straight game.

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