NHL

Zajac’s hard work pays off for Devils

Travis Zajac missed most of the Devils season with an injured Achilles that limited him to 15 games and six points (two goals, four assists). Tuesday night, he surpassed that output with his third goal of the playoffs at 5:39 of overtime to lead the Devils to a 3-2 win over the Panthers, ensuring a Game 7 Thursday night against the Panthers.

“I firsthand saw what this guy went through for months of rehab and the setbacks in the gym by yourself and on the ice by yourself and left behind while the team is traveling,” Devils coach Pete DeBoer said after the game. “It’s not a lot of fun, and it couldn’t have happened to a better guy.”

Zajac missed the first 30 games of the season after suffering the injury during the preseason and didn’t play in his first game until Dec. 16. He played in seven games before missing the next 37, sidelined again until March 25.

“He’s played really well this series for us,” said Zach Parise, who assisted on the winning goal. “He had a great pass to Kovalchuk and then had the goal. He’s a good guy to play with. He makes my job easier and he makes his line mates better,”

The Devils had a 2-0 lead in the second period after Zajac passed the puck to Kovalchuk, who had a wide-open net on a Devils’ power play. Then in overtime, it was Kovalchuk who assisted Zajac on the winning goal.

“When I first came back and for whatever reason wasn’t ready, it put a damper on things, but you stick with it,” Zajac said. “I had great doctors and trainers here helping me through the process and just worked to try and get back.”

It was nothing new for Zajac, who also had the winner in the Devils’ last playoff overtime win, a 3-2 victory over the Hurricanes in Game 3 of the conference quarterfinals in 2009. He has three goals and three assists in this series.

Perhaps the happiest Devil was Zajac and Parise’s linemate, Kovalchuk. He has made the playoffs just three times in his 11-year career, and never made it out of the first round. It will be his first Game 7.

“I am really happy for everyone,’’ Kovalchuk said. “[Zajac] is a huge part of our team. He showed a lot of character coming back from that injury to play on that kind of level, so it is impressive.

“ We took the first step, and we have to be ready for Game 7.”

david.satriano@nypost.com