Marino on Precipice of Return | FEATURE

The Devils enjoyed an eight-day hiatus in action thanks to the NHL All-Star break and the team's bye week. While most players on the team were getting away - going home or seeking out warmer weather destinations - defenseman John Marino spent his break in New Jersey.
Marino used the extra week to continue working back from his upper-body injury and ramping up into contact. Marino, who has been out of the lineup since Dec. 20, participated in his first full-contact practice since the injury on Sunday afternoon.
"I feel good today," he said. "We'll see how it feels (Monday) and take it from there. All things are pointing in the right direction. We'll see how it goes (Monday)."

Devils coach Lindy Ruff echoed that sentiment.
"It's a great situation. We know how well Johnny played. We'll get him a skate (Monday) morning and see if he's ready to go," he said.
Ruff did show a little cautious optimism about Marino's prospects for returning to the lineup Monday night when the Devils host the Vancouver Canucks.
"He looked pretty good today, so I don't think tomorrow is going to change too much," he said.
If Marino does play, the Devils will have their full compliment of defensive players at their desposal.
"We're getting a great player back in the lineup," captain Nico Hischier said. "He's going to do the things he's done so far for us this year. He'll make us a better team. ... He's been really, really good for us. Everyone in here recognizes it. Everyone out there sees it as well. That's a guy that can play a lot of minutes, a guy that can shut down other players and a guy that can create some offense."
Being injured can be a lonely time for players. Their rehab ice time and gym time is often separate from the team, and in some cases, they don't cross paths with some teammates for long stretches.
Marino, 25, though had been skating for the previous month in a non-contact jersey, which included joining the team on a 12-day road trip through the west coast.
"To be there with everyone went a long way mentally," Marino said. "It's tough. When you're injured, you're away from the team. You don't see the guys as much. No one likes to be hurt. The hardest is part is the mental grind of it."
Each practice day with the team, Marino pushed a little harder in a well-designed plan heading into the recent break.
"I was ramping up before the break a little bit," he said. "Getting a little bit of contact. Testing it out. The break was huge to come back after break and give it a little bit more time to heal.
"It's a building up process. You don't want to jump in too early, you don't want to wait too long either. It's just feeling it out day by day."
And now, on the precipice of returning, Marino is hoping to put the injury behind him soon and look forward.
"Being able to come back here and be in a regular practice, have a regular jersey on, compete with the guys, you always look forward to that," Marino said. "We want to make a playoff push. It's a huge second half of the season and I want to be a part of it."