The Boston Bruins are getting healthy when it counts most.
Forward Rick Nash returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since suffering a concussion in the middle of March. Nash hasn’t played since a March 17 contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning but is expected to be in the lineup Thursday when the Bruins begin their opening-round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Bruins sent Ryan Spooner, Matt Beleskey, Ryan Lindgren a 2018 first-round pick and 2019 seventh-rounder to the New York Rangers for Nash, a pending unrestricted free agent, one day prior to the Feb. 26 trade deadline.
Nash registered three goals and three assists in 11 games with the Bruins before his injury.
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Sean Kuraly also returned to the ice with his teammates. The 25-year-old had missed the previous seven games with an upper-body injury.
Nash skated on a line with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk, while Kuraly resumed his role as the fourth-line centre between Tim Schaller and Tommy Wingels.
Riley Nash remained absent, though, as the centre recovers from a significant laceration he sustained when he took a puck to the ear/head late in the regular season.
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