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Marcus Johan son was on the ice Monday with his New Jersey Devils teammates for the first time since suffering his second concu sion of the season Jan. 23, and he did not hold back in his about the illegal hit that landed him on injured reserve for the past nine weeks -- and counting. "It was stupid," Johan son Rudy Tomjanovich Jersey said of Brad Marchand'sfly-by right elbow that struck him on the side of the head in the Devils 3-2 lo s to the Bruins in Boston. "There was no point in doing that. There was no hockey play whatsoever...there are obviously situations where to try and hit someone to make thehockey play and it goes wrong. Then there are plays like this that has nothing to do with hockey. It's sad to see. I gue s I'm unfortunate to be on the receiving end of that." The league suspended Marchand five games for the incident. Monday if he felt the suspension was fair and long enough. "Ah, not really, considering this was the ninth time he's been suspended or fined," replied Johan son, who has been limited by injuries to only 29 games played this season, his first with the Devils after being acquired last summer in trade with the Capitals. "It's sad. It's stupid. I'm hoping it doesn't come to him ending someone else's career before it's enough." Johan son resumed skating on March 6 and remained behind when the team took off on a six-game, two-week road trip. Monday was the Devils first practice since returning from that succe sful 4-2-0 trip and Johan son's first with his teammates in more than two months. MORE : NHL Mixed Bag Jets become Canada's latest, best hope to end Stanley Cup drought There is no timetable for Johan son's return to the lineup just yet. The Devils have sevengames remaining in the regular season, beginning with Tuesday's home contest against the Hurricanes. New Jersey is three points ahead of the Panthers for the second and final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, and Florida owns two games in hand. "It's fun being out there with the guys and skating and doing what you love," said Johan son. "It's getting there. Got a little bit to go. It's not 100 percent yet." Added Devils coach John Hynes, "Physically, he looks good. He looks like he's in some pretty good shape." Trevelin Queen Jersey |
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