It was a whirlwind day for Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko.

Nearly eight months after he was injured in the first game of VancouverB次元官网网址檚 playoff run, Demko returned to the crease Tuesday for his first start of the season.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e talked about managing expectations and not putting too much weight on that first game back, but obviously, as the moment builds, youB次元官网网址檙e excited to play and you want to perform,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o definitely a little bit of a weird day just getting back into the room and things.B次元官网网址�

Demko stopped 21 of the 25 shots he faced as the Canucks fell 4-3 to the St. Louis Blues in overtime.

B次元官网网址淚 thought he was good tonight. ItB次元官网网址檚 good to see him in net,B次元官网网址� said Rick Tocchet, VancouverB次元官网网址檚 head coach. B次元官网网址淗e looks big. I love seeing him back in. HeB次元官网网址檚 worked really hard, so I thought he did a great job for us tonight.B次元官网网址�

The result was a difficult one for the all-star netminder.

B次元官网网址淔elt rusty for sure,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 thought I could have played a couple of goals differently. IB次元官网网址檓 sure that thereB次元官网网址檚 stuff that I can pull to keep building. But obviously itB次元官网网址檚 frustrating right now.B次元官网网址�

Demko backstopped the Canucks (14-8-5) to a playoff run last season. He posted a 35-14-2 record with a .918 save percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts in regular-season action and played in the all-star game for the second time in his career.

Then, on April 24, he injured the popliteus muscle in his left knee during VancouverB次元官网网址檚 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of a first-round playoff series.

The 28-year-old goalie from San Diego, Cali., has been working his way back from the rare injury ever since.

Demko admitted the ailment was in the back of his mind on Tuesday.

B次元官网网址淥bviously, I was out for a long time. You have anxiety about things like that,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd, admittedly, thereB次元官网网址檚 a couple of times during the game where IB次元官网网址檓 thinking about it a little bit, just to kind of work through those things. And thatB次元官网网址檚 just part of the mentality of the game day and just building that confidence back up.B次元官网网址�

Having Demko back in the crease is B次元官网网址渁 big add,B次元官网网址� said Canucks winger Conor Garland, calling his teammate B次元官网网址渁 top goalie in the world.B次元官网网址�

The team should have performed better in front of Demko, he added.

B次元官网网址淵ou donB次元官网网址檛 want to give a guy four or five breakaways or odd-man rushes. So itB次元官网网址檚 not very good,B次元官网网址� Garland said. B次元官网网址淏ut heB次元官网网址檚 a battler, hangs in there, makes big saves. ThatB次元官网网址檚 why heB次元官网网址檚 the greatest.B次元官网网址�