Paul MacLean and his team are stuck in one of their worst stretches of the season and it could not come at a worse time, with teams pushing for the final couple playoff spots.

The Ottawa Senators will look to get back on track in Philadelphia tonight where they’ll take on a Flyers team that has played well at home this season.  Philly has posted an impressive 12-5-2 record at the Wells Fargo Center and will obviously give a struggling Senators team all they can handle tonight.

Desperate for offence and stuck in the middle of a five game losing streak, the Senators are turning to Binghamton for help.

The Senators announced this afternoon that they have recalled forward Jean Gabriel Pageau from the American Hockey League. Pageau has appeared in 69 games with the BSens this season, racking up 7 goals and 29 points and a +8 plus minus rating.

(UPDATE 1:49 PM)- Thanks to everybody that took the time to enter today's contest and thanks to The613.com for supplying the prize.  I'll sort through the emails and contact the winner by 3:00 PM today.  As I mentioned below, we'll be giving away a couple T-shirts from The613.com in contests over the weekend.  Keep an eye out for details.

Much like in Florida the other night, the Ottawa Senators were the better hockey team on Tuesday night but come up empty.

The Sens got goals from Daniel Alfredsson and Guillaume Latendresse but Steven Stamkos scored late in the third period and former Senator Ben Bishop shut the door the rest of the way as the Sens fell by a 3-2 in final. The loss is the fifth straight for the Senators.

In the midst of one of their roughest stretches of the season, the Ottawa Senators hope an encounter with a familiar face can help get them back on track.

After a disappointing loss to the Panthers on Sunday night, the Senators continue their march through the state of Florida as they visit Ben Bishop and the Tampa Bay Lightning.  I used the term “must-win” before the game on Sunday and it certainly seems to apply again tonight in Tampa.

As good a distraction as the Rihanna picture was, the latest news to surface on Twitter on Monday seems a tad more significant.

Dan Seguin from CBC Ottawa tweeted this morning that Sens defenceman Erik Karlsson is back on the ice and skated for the first time since suffering what appeared to be a season ending injury.  Nothing to get excited about just yet but obviously a huge step in the right direction.

With the Ottawa Senators in the midst of a four game losing streak and the teams behind them gaining ground, Sens fans could use a distraction.

Right on cue-  Here is Rihanna sporting a Sens jersey for some reason during a recent night out in Hollywood.  At first I figured this was during a show here in Ottawa but it's apparently from a couple days ago. Welcome to Sens Army, Rihanna!

With 11 games to go in the NHL season and the Ottawa Senators sitting in 6th place, it feels strange to already be using the term "must win".

But this evening's game against the Florida Panthers certainly has that feel to it. The Sens have dropped three straight coming into tonight and have watched the teams behind them gain ground. Paul MacLean and his group need to get the ship righted against the Panthers in Sunrise tonight.

After another frustrating loss, the Senators find themselves sliding down a slippery slope. With 11 games left in the NHL season, Ottawa likely needs to find some combination of eight points. Or ten to be safe.

Prior to this recent three game slide, that would have seemed like an easy task for a team that was playing so well. But on the heels of one of their most disappointing performances of the season, the Sens need to get things turned around in a hurry.

Now that the NHL Trade Deadline has finally passed, all the rumours and speculation can finally be put to bed.

With only 12 games left in the NHL season, these are your Ottawa Senators.  Of course with the likes of Craig Anderson, Milan Michalek, Jared Cowen and hopefully all Jason Spezza left to return to the line up, the biggest additions could be still to come.  The stretch drive to the NHL playoffs begins tonight in Buffalo.