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Bruins hope to get on track versus Capitals

Feb 5, 2012 - 2:59 PM (Sports Network) - The Boston Bruins hope to avoid matching their longest losing streak of the season this afternoon as they visit a Washington Capitals club that has its eyes set on first place in the Southeast Division.

The Bruins haven't been very impressive in February's early goings, getting blanked 3-0 by the Hurricanes on Thursday before suffering a 2-1 setback to the Penguins yesterday. It marks the first time since Dec. 6-8 that the Northeast Division leaders have lost consecutive games.

Joe Corvo scored and Tim Thomas made 26 saves for Boston, which has lost three of four and owns a five-point edge over Ottawa in the division. The Bruins are also three back of the New York Rangers for the most in the Eastern Conference, but will look to avoid dropping three in a row for the first time since Oct. 22-29.

"You got to start building on the positive and I thought tonight our effort was better and our focus was better," Bruins head coach Claude Julien said. "There was a couple of areas, again, that we need to continue to improve on but if our guys go out [Sunday] and give that same effort we're going to turn this around."

Boston will play two straight and eight of its next 10 on the road and remains without Nathan Horton, who has sat out four straight due to a mild concussion.

The Capitals return home to begin a three-game residency after snapping a four-game skid on the road with Saturday's 3-0 triumph in Montreal. Tomas Vokoun made 30 saves for his third shutout of the season and 47th of his career.

Vokoun blanked the Canadiens for the first time in his career and played the majority of the game with just a one-goal lead before Matt Hendricks and Alexander Semin found the back of the net in the third to create some breathing room.

Defenseman Dennis Wideman, who scored in the first, praised his goaltender for preserving the slim edge.

"[The Canadiens] took the game in the second (period), but (Vokoun) made some great saves and kept it 1-0," the Washington defenseman said. Montreal outshot the Capitals 10-3 during the middle stanza.

Washington, which had dropped four of five overall coming in, welcomed Alex Ovechkin back to the lineup as it pulled to within one point of idle Florida for the top spot in the Southeast Division. Ovechkin had been suspended for three games for an illegal hit on Pittsburgh's Zbynek Michalek on Jan. 22 and logged a shot and three hits in just under 20 minutes of ice time.

The Caps moved to 9-14-3 on the road this year and now return home, where they are 18-6-1 on the season and have won eight of nine.

The Bruins took three of four from the Capitals a season ago, but Washington drew first blood in this year's four-game series with a 5-3 home win on Jan. 24 that featured the first hat trick of Mathieu Perreault's career.

Boston has lost two straight and seven of its past nine in Washington.