Stone: 'Stupidity and frustration' leading to Senators losses

The Ottawa Senators have no one to blame but themselves.

After dropping yet another game Saturday - the fifth time this month the Senators have been shut out - winger Mark Stone wasn't short on criticisms for the struggling squad.

"We're coming to the rink working hard. I don't think its work ethic. I think it's stupidity more than anything ... stupidity and frustration," Stone told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen.

"This needed to stop about (six weeks) ago. We've put ourselves in a hole that we're going to need a fantastic run and we're going to need help."

Saturday's 5-0 defeat to the Boston Bruins marked the Senators' fourth loss in their last six outings as the team has now skidded to second last in the East.

Earlier this season, the Senators pulled off a blockbuster deal to acquire center Matt Duchene from the Colorado Avalanche in hopes of building on last year's lineup that came one goal shy of advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals.

But Ottawa has been anything but successful since bringing in Duchene.

Including Saturday, the Senators have won just six of 23 games since adding Duchene. While he's not entirely at fault, the veteran isn't without blame either, as he's registered just three goals and three assists since arriving in the Canadian capital.

To make matters worse, Saturday's contest was played before a sellout crowd at the Canadian Tire Centre. It's been difficult to draw fans to Kanata this season, while those paying witness to the shellacking may need more convincing to make the trip more often.

Now 12 points back of a playoff position, a repeat of last year's postseason thriller looks like a longshot for the Senators.