When the circumstances surrounding a goal are so murky that the scorer has to watch video to see how he put the puck in the net, maybe that goal was a fluke.

When a goal like comes in the second overtime of Game 7 in a playoff series, and it’s scored by a guy who has made it his business to score clutch goals, that’s no fluke.

Welcome to Joe Devin’s world – or make that welcome back.

A 28-year-old forward from Scituate, completing his second season with the South Carolina Stingrays, Devin has again made himself the scourge of ECHL playoff opponents and their goaltenders. Second in the league in postseason goals a year ago when he netted 13 in 27 playoff contests (only four fewer than he scored in 46 regular-season games), Devin is No. 1 so far this postseason with 10 goals in 14 playoff games.

“I’ve had a decent start. The first two series went pretty well,” understated Devin, who’s third in playoff points with 15. “I’ve been pretty fortunate to be playing in a good situation in the playoffs.”

The Stingrays are pretty fortunate to have Devin for another postseason run – which he extended last Wednesday with a goal at 15:34 of the second overtime in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Only slightly less dramatic than the triple-OT, Game 7 winner that sent South Carolina to the 2015 Kelly Cup finals (the Stingrays lost in seven games to the Allen Americans), last week’s dramatic – if unusual – Game 7 strike set up a best-of-7 series against the Wheeling Nailers. It’s tied, 1-1, entering Game 3 on Wednesday night in West Virginia.

“That was crazy,” Devin said of the goal that eliminated the Adirondack Thunder, which led the series 3-2 when it returned to North Charleston Coliseum. “One of our defensemen shot it, the puck went off the end boards, popped to the side of the net, and I just backhanded it.

“I think it went off the back of their goalie’s leg and into the net. I had to re-watch it, to see what happened. It was just a blur.”

Not so out of the ordinary, though, was Devin’s presence near the net when the puck got there. That’s his thing – especially in the playoffs.

“You know how it goes in playoff hockey – a lot of the goals aren’t scored on first shots,” he said. “It’s rebounds, the kind of ugly ones in front. So I just try to get to the net as much as I can, and when I do that, they’ve been going in. Hopefully that continues.”

Devin’s second straight postseason run continues what he considers the best of his five pro seasons. The former Catholic Memorial High School star (he played for the Knights’ 2004 MIAA Super 8 Championship team), who played at Cornell University through 2010-11, got 18 AHL games with San Antonio (one goal, one assist) in 2011-12 before finding more of a groove with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones (53 games, 8-13–21), then spent two seasons in Europe – primarily Sweden – before returning to North America last season.

Year 2 with the Stingrays (18-23–41, plus-21 in 55 games) was more productive than last season (17-11–28, even, 46 games), and included a successful return to the AHL: Just before Christmas, the Stingrays loaned Devin to the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters, for whom he netted five goals and seven points in 16 games before returning to the ECHL.

“To get back to the AHL was a goal when I came back to North America, so it was huge to get that chance,” he said. “It was great to get up there, play well and have some success. It was good experience.”

Time will tell where that stint, combined with two strong ECHL seasons and two stunning postseasons, might take Devin next season. He weighed several options – including not playing at all, and putting his Ivy League degree to work – before finally re-signing with the Stingrays late last summer.

“That’s the tough decision you’ve got to make,” he said. “Are you going to keep playing, keep chasing the dream, or are you going to grow up and get a real job? You don’t want that day to come, even though you know it’s going to come eventually.”

Not yet, though. Devin’s focus is on helping the Stingrays reach the Kelly Cup finals for the second consecutive season, and winning it this time.

“I’ll deal with making any decisions I have once I’m all done with the season here,” he said. “Right now, I’m just enjoying every day.”