NHL

ROLSTON’S GOAL FOR NAUGHT

It could have been a season-changing goal for Brian Rolston.

The expensive signing — the Devils’ priciest free-agent acquisition ever — had suffered through a disappointing first year with the Devils. A sprained ankle slowed him early in the year, and after consecutive 31-goal seasons with Minnesota, Rolston tallied just 15 this season.

But with a tremendous goal 8:47 into the second period, his fortunes appeared to have changed.

It was a tremendous play by Rolston, as he pounced on the puck and bulleted a one-timer past Cam Ward after Brian Gionta’s pass bounced off the boards, giving the Devils a 3-2 Game 7 lead over Carolina and sending the Newark fans into a frenzy.

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The crowd, like Rolston, believed it could be enough.

It nearly was.

“I thought that might be the game-winner,” said Rolston, who inked a four-year deal worth $20.5 million in the offseason. “Obviously, you never know. Things change so quickly in a series.”

Rarely more so than in this one, which Carolina stole, scoring twice in the final 1:20 of the final game. That, after a Hurricanes’ goal with two-tenths of a second left in Game 4 cost the Devils the series lead.

“You can’t take anything for granted, but I was hoping that was going to be the case, that that would be the one,” Rolston said. “But they came back at the very end. That’s the nature of the beast. That’s what goes on in the playoffs.”

And just like that, the Devils’ season was over.

“You see games like that all the time and this is no exception,” Rolston said.

Usually, however, those things don’t happen to the Devils and Martin Brodeur.

“That’s a good point,” Rolston said.

But even Brodeur has his limits, which was seen on the seemingly never-ending shift that ended with Jussi Jokinen’s tying goal at 18:40.

“Marty made save after save in the third period, but they had too many chances,” Rolston said.

And it cost the Devils their season.

dan.martin@nypost.com