The Devils are getting a major blueline boost on Monday.
John Marino, a fan-favorite defenseman who has not played since suffering an upper-body injury on Dec. 20 vs. Carolina, skated in a full-contact jersey in New Jersey’s previous two practices and will play against the Canucks on Monday night (replacing Kevin Bahl).
“He’s definitely ready to go,” coach Lindy Ruff said of Marino’s status after the pregame skate.
Marino’s return comes as refreshing news for Ruff and the rest of the Devils’ coaching staff. In 32 games, the Devils own a 54.31% Corsi and 53.85% expected goals advantage when he’s on the ice at five-on-five and they’ve only surrendered 11 five-on-five goals (the fourth lowest tally among eligible NHL defenseman).
WATCH EVERY DEVILS GAME IN 2022-23 HERE: DirecTV Stream, fuboTV
Marino, 25, said his injury didn’t stem from a “crazy” or “big” hit, but rather an awkward hit along the boards while facing the Hurricanes. He spent the All-Star break in New Jersey gradually taking more contact while training and “ramping up” his on-ice play. Marino said his recovery process was daunting, but joining the Devils on their long West Coast road trip in January was crucial for a positive mindset.
“To be there with everyone went a long way mentally,” Marino said on Sunday. “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.”
When he wasn’t traveling with the team, Marino said he coached them from his couch.
“Yeah a little bit,” Marino said with a laugh. “You’re yelling at the TV sometimes, you get into it. But, as you know, not much you can do.”
With his return looming, Marino will join a playoff-hungry Devils squad with 33 games remaining in the regular season. New Jersey has a 32-13-4 record this season – eight points shy of Carolina for first place in the Metropolitan Division – and an 11-5-2 record since Marino left the lineup.
Marin, craving this moment for weeks, says he wants to be a key part of their postseason push.
“Being able to come back here and be in a regular practice, have a regular jersey on and 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.”
Ruff awaited Marino’s return too. The Devils slotted Bahl and fellow prospect Nikita Okhotiuk in the lineup while Marino was hurt and saw several defensive breakdowns as a result. Adding Marino brings stability and experience to the defense – which could elevate their play in a tough February schedule.
“We know how well he played before he got hurt,” Ruff said. “He was a big part of our group back there, played against a lot of the top lines, defended really well and I think when you put him back in, it will make us stronger defensively. Maybe take a couple of games to hit his stride, but overall we know what he brought and what he brought was really good for our team.”
MORE DEVILS:
-’That hit still haunts me’: 2012 Devils reflect on Stanley Cup misery 10 years later
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Ryan Novozinsky may be reached at rnovozinsky@njadvancemedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter @ryannovo62.