Have the Ottawa Senators finally returned to Earth? Has reality set in?

The Eastern Conference’s most pleasant surprise is mired in its first four-game losing streak of the season. First-line center Jason Spezza scored zero points during that downturn.

“Our whole line, the last four games we haven’t produced offensively and we’ve lost,” Spezza told the Ottawa Sun. “So it’s no coincidence. We have to be good as a line offensively, too.”

Winger Milan Michalek’s goal-scoring slump has reached eight games. “The season is long, there’s always ups and downs,” he told the Sun. “Sometimes you’re low. But I’m trying to stay positive. I think it’s going to turn around soon. I have to work hard and hopefully it’s going to come back soon.”

Ottawa needs to regain its scoring touch during the upcoming five-game homestand. The Sens have an opportunity reestablish themselves as a playoff threat.

“As the season goes on, month by month, it gets harder, it gets harder, it gets harder,” captain Daniel Alfredsson told the Ottawa Citizen. “It’s tough to score goals, games are closer. And I think that’s good for us, we’ve got to learn to deal with that, a lot of different situations. It pushes everybody.”