Nashville Predators forward Jonathan Marchessault was candid after his team dropped to 0-4 with a loss against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.
"Right now, I think we're a little fragile as a group," Marchessault told Tennessean's Alex Daugherty. "The beginning of the season is not going like we want. In the offseason, everybody says how good you guys are going to be and everything, and we maybe have to think that we're a good team, but we're not good enough. We gotta work harder than the opponent."
The Predators have fallen flat to commence the campaign after the signings of Marchessault, Steven Stamkos, and Brady Skjei raised expectations entering the season.
Marchessault netted his first goal with Nashville in Thursday's loss and has three points. Skjei has one goal and is a minus-6 through four games, while Stamkos is without a point. The trio makes a combined $20.5 million against the cap.
"We've got to find a way to win hockey games here," Marchessault added, according to team reporter Brooks Bratten. "We can't have a glimpse of our game to be good. I think it needs to be more of a consistent effort, and we're not doing that right now."
Head coach Andrew Brunette reiterated the Predators' lack of consistency.
"I think we're having a hard time in the big moments," Brunette said. "We're kind of going in spurts right now where we put a good four or five shifts together, but we can't sustain those things. And if you look at our group, to a man, I think there's more there. There's a little bit more to give."
He added: "Every man has to play better. And to me, that's just the bottom line."
Captain Roman Josi noted the importance of turning things around quickly.
"The reality is we're 0-4, so the urgency is high to get that first win, and it has to be," Josi said. "I think everybody's got to try to give a little bit more. There's a deep trust in this team, deep belief in this team, that we're going to do it and we're going to get out of this. It's a big test for us right now, but the urgency has definitely got to be high."
The Predators haven't started a season 0-4 since 2002-03, when they lost eight straight games to begin the year.
Nashville lost in the first round against the Vancouver Canucks last season after going on a remarkable 20-5-3 run to make the playoffs.
The Predators will look for their first win of the campaign Saturday against the 1-3-0 Detroit Red Wings.
