Vancouver Canucks superstar goaltender Thatcher Demko is back.
The Canucks goalie finally dressed for his first NHL game since April 21 on Friday as Vancouver took on the Columbus Blue Jackets, returning from a knee injury sustained in last season’s playoffs.
After months of rehab and preparation, however, Demko was limited to back-up duties with Kevin Lankinen getting the start on Friday’s 5-2 win.
“Yeah, obviously been looking forward to it for a while now,” Demko said on Thursday, via NHL.com. “I’ve told you guys plenty of times I’m a guy that is pretty day-to-day.
“Obviously I’m looking at the schedule and I’m in a position now to kind of look down the road and see what’s ahead. So it’s been good.”
The injury sidelined Demko during a pivotal stretch for the Canucks’ season last year as they entered the playoffs with the third-best record in the Western Conference and Stanley Cup aspirations.
Demko, however, fell down injured after playing just one postseason game and he’s been sidelined ever since. This year, the Canucks have leaned heavily on offseason signing Kevin Lankinen in his absence.
In fairness, Lankinen has been a revelation, compiling a 13-3-3 record overall and winning an NHL-record 10 straight on-the-road matchups to start the season. He boasts a .908 save percentage and is allowing 2.62 goals against on average.
“I want to give ‘Lanks’ all the credit in the world, he’s been unbelievable,” Demko said. “For me, I’m managing my expectations a bit. I think it’d be foolish to say I’ll come back and be perfectly sharp with my A-game in Game One. That takes time just seeing game reps.
“The way ‘Lanks’ has played takes a bit of pressure off myself to come in and feel like I have to save the world.”
While Demko didn’t play on Friday’s game, there is a possibility he could take the crease on Sunday when the Canucks (14-7-4) host the Tampa Bay Lightning (13-9-2).