Good news for the Anaheim Ducks, bad news for the Nashville Predators.
Forwards David Perron and Rickard Rakell will be in the lineup when the Ducks open their first-round series Friday at home, head coach Bruce Boudreau confirmed. Perron hasn't played since March 20 due to a shoulder separation, while Rakell last played March 28, before being sidelined with appendicitis.
Perron's return is more surprising, as he was expected to miss four-to-six weeks. The pending unrestricted free agent has settled in nicely with Anaheim after a midseason trade from Pittsburgh, with eight goals and 12 assists in 28 games in SoCal.
Rakell, a first-round pick, 30th overall in 2011, broke out this season, scoring 20 goals and adding 23 assists in 72 games.
Meanwhile, defenseman Kevin Bieksa, dealing with an upper-body injury, is a game-time decision, Boudreau said.
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