More than any other Blues player, veteran forward Andy McDonald must embrace the “one day at a time” philosophy.

McDonald missed the previous 51 games after suffering another concussion, just the latest physical setback during his time with this franchise. So he knew to curb his enthusiasm after his successful return to active duty Sunday night.

He barely cracked a smile while chatting with reporters after the Blues dispatched the Sharks 3-0 at Scottrade Center.

“It's nice to be back,” he said. “It's been so long, kind of a long road to recovery. It’s exciting to be back, especially when you win.

“Tonight my decision-making was a little bit slower than it should be and that's a hard thing to overcome. That's what I have to work on, but other than that I felt pretty good physically. I just have to get that timing a little bit quicker.”

McDonald’s teammates were more outwardly excited about his return.

“He hasn’t played in four months and it looked like he hasn’t missed a beat,” Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said.

“Awesome, great guy, probably the best player on our team in terms of speed and skill,” forward David Perron added.

The concussion ranks among the most vexing sports injuries. Preventing concussions is difficult. The best treatment for these injuries is simply rest.

Recovery timetables don’t exist. When an athlete fully recovers, he can resume playing. Sometimes athletes never fully recover, especially after multiple concussions.

The risk of recurrence is high. Once athletes suffer post-concussion syndrome, they understand that there are no guarantees moving forward.

The struggles of veteran NHL stars like Sidney Crosby and Chris Pronger underscore the risk.

“When you’re trying to come back, you’re always in the mode, everything is a test,” observed Perron, who successfully returned from a severe concussion earlier this season. “You’re driving your car, it’s a test. Walking your dog, it’s a test.”

The long road back can be exasperating. McDonald tried to help Perron through his concussion struggle, then David returned the favor to Andy.

“At one point, you get sick of people asking you how you are feeling,” Perron said. “For me, when I was seeing him, I was asking him how his family is doing.”

McDonald practiced extensively with the Blues before finally returning to action. As McDonald got into the flow of Sunday night’s game, it became glaringly clear what the Blues have been missing.

He is fast enough to force opposing defensemen to back off against the rush. He uses his speed to chase down loose pucks on the offensive zone and his quickness to sustain pressure on the forecheck.

On the power play he uses his quick feet and quick hands to beat penalty killers and move into open ice. He reads the defense, holds the puck and waits for plays to develop.

With the two-man advantage, he has the skill and confidence to walk out from the side of the net, hold the puck and try to measure the goaltender. How many other Blues would walk out from the side, draw out the goaltender, then try to maneuver around him for the short-side backhand stuff?

Such skill can freeze the opposition, create scoring chances and give teammates time and space to operate. His ability to play off of big centers makes him especially valuable to this team.

On any given night, he can make David Backes, Patrik Berglund or Jason Arnott better.

But how long can he last in the lineup? Now that McDonald is back, remaining healthy becomes his greatest challenge.

“You want to get hit, you want to have the confidence that you are healthy,” he said. “It took a few shifts to really get bumped around. Hopefully I can continue to get better.”

He knows not to look too far down the road.

“It feels good,” McDonald said. “Look forward to the next game.”