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Jeff Skinner is almost his old, young self again

Nashville Predators v Carolina Hurricanes

RALEIGH, NC - FEBRUARY 28: Jeff Skinner #53 of the Carolina Hurricanes dives for a loose puck during play against the Nashville Predators at the RBC Center on February 28, 2012 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes won 4-3. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

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Jeff Skinner has been back from his concussion since mid-January but that doesn’t mean he’s been playing like his old self.

Skinner tells Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer that he’s just now starting to get back to how he was playing before he got viciously lit up by Edmonton’s Andy Sutton. Skinner says that being patient with concussion recovery is the best way to go about it, even though it’s hard.

“You come back and you’re anxious. You’re excited to be back and want to get back to where you left off,” Skinner, 19, said Monday. “Sometimes you end up forcing it. That can only hurt you.

“But sometimes it’s tough to kind of rein it back in and regroup and take it one step at a time and not rush things.”

Since coming back on January 15, Skinner has just five goals and six assists all while the Hurricanes sit 14th in the Eastern Conference destined for the draft lottery. In his last four games, however, Skinner has a goal and three assists. He’s starting to get his groove back now, but it’s hard.

That’s not to say that Skinner was wrong to come back after missing just over a month’s worth of action, with concussions you get back at it when you’re free of symptoms. Rejoining what’s turned out to be a pretty poor team, however, probably had more to do with Skinner’s lack of production than anything.