Senators goaltender Pascale Leclaire.

BY IAN MENDES
sportsnet.ca

The Ottawa Senators are hoping that a little bit of talk will lead to some action. And more importantly, they are hoping it can lead them to a much-needed win.

Following a 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes on Sunday night, the Senators held a players-only meeting in the dressing room at RBC Center. The meeting took only a few minutes, but the players insisted there was no tension inside the room. The message coming from several players was that now was the time to stick together, since the club is battling so much adversity.

"We've got to stay positive, we can't start blaming each other. We've got to be honest with each other and realize we need to step it up," netminder Pascal Leclaire said. "We're not that far off."

The Senators have now lost four consecutive games and have been out scored 16-4 in the process. The offensive attack has been neutralized with the injuries to Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek.

"We got to be better as a group and as a team. I have to be better myself and start leading the way," said alternate captain Mike Fisher, who hasn't scored in 13 straight games.

The Senators, who just opened a five-game road trip in Raleigh, sport the second-worst road record in the NHL, going a 6-12-1 record in away games this season.

After the game, head coach Cory Clouston praised his team's efforts, but said they need to find a way to generate some offence in the absence of their star players. Only Chris Kelly was able to light the lamp for the Senators this weekend, as the team was shutout 3-0 by Florida on Saturday night.

"Right now, everything that can go wrong, is going wrong," Clouston said after the game, pointing out that his team was not rewarded for a strong start which saw them outshoot Carolina 16-5 in the first period.

The Senators are clinging to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and will continue their road trip with a game in Atlanta on Tuesday night.