The Calgary Flames dropped their third straight game and second in a row to the Ottawa Senators with Wednesday's 3-1 loss.

The Flames continue to sit sixth in the North Division and remain four points back of the Montreal Canadiens, who have three games in hand in the fourth and the final playoff spot.

"It's tough right now," Flames captain Mark Giordano said post-game on Wednesday. "Both games feel similar, where we didn't have the ability to lock it down when we needed to in the final minutes. It's tough. It's really tough. This was a big trip for us and a couple tough losses. The bottom line is myself and the other leaders, we've got to make plays under pressure. That's the difference."

The Flames entered the third period on Wednesday with a 1-0 lead thanks to a Giordano goal in the second period but failed to secure points for the fourth time in their past five games. 

"We had the game in our favour in the third and it got away from us," forward Dillon Dube said. "It's tough. It's not what you want, that's for sure."

The Flames are now 4-5-1 since making a coaching change from Geoff Ward, who team had an 11-11-2 record under.

Calgary will look rebound on Friday when they return home to host the Winnipeg Jets.