OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators are in need of answers after a pair of weekend losses on home ice. Captain Jason Spezza hoped to find them by holding a players-only meeting on Monday. Frustration was setting in after 5-2 loss to San Jose on Sunday followed Fridays 2-1 defeat to Anaheim at the Canadian Tire Centre, and Spezza felt it was time to clear the air. "You can tell guys left the rink (Sunday) night frustrated, myself included," Spezza said. "When you get frustrated its useless. Being frustrated and not talking about it can be a useless emotion so when you get frustrated as a group, and I sensed I was frustrated and the guys were frustrated, that its important to talk about it so things dont just fester." The decision to make it a players only meeting was to allow everyone to have a voice and not feel censored. Spezza said the team talked for about 35 minutes and is hopeful the dialogue will result in a better performance Tuesday night when the Senators take on the Chicago Blackhawks. "The worse thing you can do is to just keep letting things go the same way without discussing things and keep coming to the rink and continuing not playing how we want to play," said Spezza. "It was a good, open conversation. We talked about our starts not being where they want to be and maybe how we approach games maybe has to change." Of the Senators 11 games this season they have given up the first goal eight times. On both Friday and Sunday they gave up a two-goal lead. Most alarming over the past two games has been the Senators play in their own end and the number of mistakes being made that ultimately result in goals against. "Mistakes happen, thats just the nature of this game," said goalie Craig Anderson. "Right now, for whatever reason, were making mistakes and the puck ends up in our net. Its one of those things where we need to be a little more assertive and a little more confident in what were doing out there as opposed to trying to play a little timid. "I think everyones trying to play not to make a mistake as opposed to just playing hard and live with the mistake you make." Senators coach Paul MacLean is hopeful the meeting will help players find solutions, otherwise he says things will likely be taken out of their control and "the next thing that happens is people start leaving." "We feel we have a real good group and we have an opportunity to be very good," he said. "We have some growing pains right now, but at the end of the day if things dont get better changes get made -- thats the history of the game." Overall MacLean has no issue with the effort being put forth; if anything he believes its a matter of individuals trying to do too much. He also admitted that getting the puck out of their own end has been a concern. "Weve been known in the past as being a pretty efficient team and getting out of our zone and not spending a lot of time there," said MacLean. "To this point in time we havent been that. For me right now our execution or our passing hasnt been to the level it needs to be." Its clear much of the Senators troubles stem from play in their own end, but MacLean says Anderson "has been one of our best if not our best player." He also on to highlight out the play of backup goaltender Robin Lehner and forward Zack Smith. As a whole the Senators defensive corps could be better. Erik Karlsson has been great offensively, but he has made glaring mistakes defensively. The young trio of Jared Cowen, Eric Gryba and Patrick Wiercioch have all struggled at times as well. "Our forwards have to help them more than they have to this point, but they also have to help themselves," said MacLean. "They need to play better. They need to get themselves settled in and pass the puck better than they have." Of the Senators 11 games, eight have been against Western Conference opponents, including two against the both the league-leading Sharks and third-place Ducks. "Right now were nearing the end of probably the toughest stretch in our schedule as far as opponents," said MacLean. "Thats not an excuse, but weve played some very good teams over the first 12 games of the year, finishing off (Tuesday) in Chicago. Weve had some competition which has been a test for us and have we come through it, has there been a little bit of adversity. "This team has gone through adversity in the past and come out of it a pretty good group and a pretty dedicated group and thats my expectation is what will happen." Notes: No decision has been made on the Senators starting goaltender for Tuesdays game. LW Clarke MacArthur could be back in the lineup after missing Sundays game with a minor injury. MacArthur took part in a full practice Monday and said he would have to wait and see how his body reacted to the workout. The Senators havent won in Chicago since the 2000-01 season. cheap jerseys . The Heat say the phrase Baiamonte used represented a momentary lapse of judgment. Stoudemire injured his left hand after Game 2 of the series when he struck a metal-and-glass case that holds a fire extinguisher near the visitors locker room at AmericanAirlines Arena. Paramedics and doctors were summoned to stitch the wound, which stretched across much of the bottom of his hand and kept him out of Game 3. wholesale jerseys . The Nets got in some practice time and Johnsons staff looked over recent game film, adding some new plays to an offence that has struggled this season. http://www.cheapchinajerseynfl.us.com/ . -- Canadas Olympic and world ice dance champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir lead by just . nfl jerseys china . The Gators, the second seed in the Southeast Region, will face UCLA in third- round action on Saturday. Florida (27-7) had few problems Thursday, building a 43-19 lead by halftime and shooting better than 54 percent overall. wholesale nfl jerseys . The 29-year-old made 23 stops, including a spectacular save on a breakaway late in the second period, to lead Toronto to a 2-1 victory over the Lake Erie Monsters in American Hockey League action on Wednesday.SHERBROOKE, Que. - Frederik Gauthier had a four-point game as the Rimouski Oceanic demolished the Sherbrooke Phoenix 7-1 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play Saturday. Gauthier scored two and had two assists for the Oceanic (10-1-1), who pulled away with five unanswered goals. Anthony DeLuca, Peter Trainor, Simon Bourque, Michael Joly and Beau Rusk added singles for Rimouski, while Alex St-Pierre made 28 saves in net. Jean-Francois Plante had the lone goal for the Phoenix (3-9-2), and Gabriel Parent allowed all seven goals on 22 shots. --- DRAKKAR 7 TIGRES 0 At Victoriaville, Que., seven players each scored as Baie-Comeau crushed the Tigres. Frederic Gamelin, Nicolas Meloche, Denis Gorbunov, Bokondji Imama, Dominic Poulin, Gabriel Verpaelst and Valentin Zykov had singles for the Drakkar (9-4-2). Philippe Cadorette made 22 saves in net for Baie-Comeau. At the other end, Brandon Whitney and Steven Veilleux combined to stop 24 shots for Victoriaville (8-4-1). The power play was tough on the Tigres at both ends of the ice — they went scoreless in six opportunities, while allowing the Drakkar to score three on 10 attempts. --- ISLANDERS 3 SAGUENEENS 0 At Charlottetown, Eric Brassard made 34 saves to help the Islanders shut out Chicoutimi. Brassard was especially good in the third period, when the Islanders were outshot 17-11. Matej Beran, AAnthony Cortese and Bradley Kennedy each scored for Charlottetown (10-2-1).dddddddddddd Domenic Graham stopped 40 shots for the Sagueneens (7-8-0). --- HUSKIES 5 MOOSEHEADS 3 At Halifax, Maxime St-Cyr scored twice to put Rouyn-Noranda ahead for good. Jean-Sebastien Dea, Marcus Power and Justin Guenette also scored for the Huskies (7-4-2). Darcy Ashley scored twice for the Mooseheads (9-7-0), and Max Lindsay also had a single. Rouyn-Noranda goaltender Carl Hozjan made 35 saves, while Kevin Darveau stopped 16 shots for Halifax. --- REMPARTS 5 SEA DOGS 2 At Saint John, N.B., Callum Booth made 35 saves and got lots of help from Quebecs offence for the win. Fabrice Herzog, Jason Houde, Adam Erne, Kurt Etchegary and Anthony Duclair scored for the Remparts (6-5-3). Spencer Smallman and Jason Cameron replied for the Sea Dogs (5-7-1). Sebastien Auger stopped 23 shots for Saint John. --- OLYMPIQUES 3 ARMADA 1 At Gatineau, Que., the Olympiques stifled the league-leading Armadas offence. Robert Steeves needed to make just 12 saves for Gatineau (9-5-0), while Vincent Dunn, Emile Poirier and Vaclav Karabacek each scored. Philippe Sanche had the only goal for Blainville-Boisbriand (10-1-1), and Etienne Marcoux stopped 19 shots. Neither team recorded double-digit shots in any period, and the Armada were held to just three shots in the third. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '