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Bruins hope to use home-ice advantage against Capitals

Jan 27, 2009 - 1:59 PM Washington (30-15-3) at Boston (34-8-5), 7:00 p.m. EST

BOSTON (Ticker) -- Like many teams this season, the Boston Bruins failed to win at the Verizon Center. They have a chance to show the Washington Capitals that they too are pretty good at home.

The teams with the two best records in the Eastern Conference clash when the Capitals visit the Bruins on Tuesday.

Boston was outscored, 5-2, in its two losses at Washington - where the Capitals are a league-best 19-3-1. The Bruins dropped a 2-1 contest on January 17.

However, the Bruins are 17-3-2 in their own building and enter the second half of the season with a 10-point lead over the Capitals for the best record in the East.

Boston erased a two-goal, third-period deficit before winning, 4-3, in a shootout at Toronto last Wednesday. Michael Ryder scored in the fourth round of the bonus format for the Bruins, who won for the first time this season when trailing after two periods.

Washington entered the All-Star break with a 3-2 loss at Ottawa last Tuesday, snapping a three-game winning streak. Defenseman Brendan Bell scored the game-winner on the power play for the Senators with 1:22 remaining.

All-Star Alex Ovechkin, who leads the league with 31 goals, has recorded one goal and one assist against the Bruins this season.