Marino able to 'heal up' for Penguins during pause

John Marino could be fully recovered from facial surgery for the Pittsburgh Penguins if the NHL season resumes.

After missing 11 games, the rookie defenseman wore a full face mask in his first five games back after taking a slap shot to the face from Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos in a 4-2 loss on Feb. 6. Marino said Tuesday he does not expect to wear the mask in his next game.

The NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. There is no timetable for when it might resume.

"Obviously, this time has given me a lot of time to heal and recover," said Marino, who returned in a 7-3 win against the Ottawa Senators on March 3. "If we start playing again soon, I don't think I'll have to wear the full face mask. Kind of take advantage of that. So at least it gave me some time to heal up."

The Penguins (40-23-6) won three of five games with Marino back after losing their previous six without him. They are third in the Metropolitan Division, four points behind the first-place Washington Capitals and three behind the second-place Philadelphia Flyers.

Marino was acquired in a trade from the Edmonton Oilers on July 26 for a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft after having 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 30 games for Harvard University last season. In three seasons at Harvard, he had 42 points (seven goals, 35 assists) in 101 games.

With the Penguins this season, Marino has 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in 56 games. He said the amount of games played was possibly the most challenging part of his transition from college.

"In college, you're only playing on the weekends and then you have the whole week to rest up your body, whereas there's not as much rest in the NHL," Marino said. "It's all really about preparation, nutrition and doing all those little things. Staying in contact with the athletic trainers, letting them know, communicating with them to make sure you're going to be as close to healthy as you can for the games."

Because of the pause, Marino said he might need at least three weeks to return to full game shape. The longest he had gone previously without skating was a month and a half following a college season.

Getting back to NHL speed is different, Marino said.

"Even when you take two days off during the season, you hop back on the ice, it just doesn't feel right," said Marino, who had surgery Feb. 10. "It takes a little while to get back to it. Like when I took a week off for my injury and came back on the ice, the first time was definitely a little rusty."

The Penguins trainers have provided personalized workout plans based on the equipment each player has available while quarantining. Marino has spent time outdoors riding a bike or playing tennis, hoping that helps him keep in shape.

"I know during this time, it's (normally) around [Stanley Cup] Playoff time," Marino said. "Obviously, I'd be really excited to partake in that. It would be my first year and it would be really exciting, especially for the fans and everyone. Hopefully we can get back to playing pretty soon."