NEW YORK -- The NHL rescinded the game misconduct penalty given to Jason Demers Sunday against the New York Islanders, allowing Demers to play Tuesday against the New York Rangers.

However, the Islanders were not happy with comments made by Stars coach Lindy Ruff about the play and about Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck.

Ruff was asked about potential supplementary discipline for Demers Sunday. He said that he did not think that a suspension was appropriate and said that Clutterbuck sold an injury but then returned to play.

"I think the guy who got hit has a history of diving," Ruff said. "I looked at the play, and don't think [Demers] elbowed him, I don't think he did anything, really. And [Clutterbuck] didn't seem to be hurt, but he sold it pretty good. Maybe [Demers] deserved a minor penalty, that's my take on it."

The Islanders took exception to the comments when they returned to practice Tuesday.

"I just find it disrespectful," Clutterbuck told Newsday. "I've played a lot of games in the league to this point, the hit itself -- if anyone looks at the replay, it's completely unnecessary. I get my head driven into the board by a knee or a thigh. I reacted to the amount of pain I was in. To embellish a hit like that, I'd have to come up with something pretty quickly while I'm in pain, so I just don't care for the comments. That's the road he chose."

Clutterbuck was fined last season for embellishment, but Islanders coach Jack Capuano said Clutterbuck plays the game the right way.

"There's not too many guys who do what Cal does -- throw his body around, block shots, kill penalties," Capuano told Newsday. "[Ruff] can say what he wants. I don't know if he wants to revisit those comments, but Clutterbuck does it the right way."

Demers said he did not intend to cause injury.

"I just thought I was caught in my momentum," Demers said. "I saw him go down, and I tried to hold my elbows up on the glass. If I contacted his head, it wasn't my intention."

Demers received a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct penalty for the hit. It was Demers' second game misconduct penalty this season. He received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct Oct. 22 for elbowing Pittsburgh's Nick Bonino.

NHL rule 23.6 states: "In regular season League games, any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconduct penalties in the "Physical Fouls Category", before playing in 41 consecutive regular season League games without such penalty, shall be suspended automatically for the next League game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game."

However, Demers was allowed to play Tuesday. A league source said the game misconduct had been removed from his record and Demers has just one now.