ALBANY -- No two teams in the American Hockey League are closer geographically than Adirondack and Albany. Through two games this season, there isn't much that separates them on ice, either.

But the Adirondack Phantoms have now come up on the wrong side of the razor blade twice. Albany beat Adirondack 3-2 in front of a crowd of 4,303 at the Times Union Center on Saturday night, ending a three-game point streak for the Phantoms and taking over first place in the East Division.

Like in the last meeting, the Phantoms had to battle back. They trailed 1-0 and 2-1.

"There's a reason we never have the lead," Phantoms coach Greg Gilbert said. "We weren't prepared to play tonight, to be quite honest with you. Our first 20 minutes was terrible. It was non-physical, it was limited intensity and we weren't willing to pay the price of battle as hard as Albany was."

The Phantoms made a point to try and control Albany's quickness in transition after some lapses in the first meeting, but it burned them twice, including on Zach Boychuk's breakaway game-winner 14 minutes into the third period.

The Phantoms turned it over and got caught with three players deep.

"It's turnovers. Turnovers," Gilbert said. "Turnovers will kill you. Against a quick team, their transition is fast, that's what's going to happen."

It also bit the Phantoms on Pat Dwyer's go-ahead goal in the second.

The Rats cleared the puck up ice at the end of a Phantoms power play, and with Zach Fitzgerald coming out of the box, ended up with a three-on-one break. Dwyer crammed it past Nic Riopel on the stick side to put Albany up 2-1 in the second period.

The Phantoms got the tying goal in the third from a surprising place: fourth line winger Garrett Klotz, more known for his fighting. Jon Matsumoto found him in the slot and Klotz buried the shot.

"He's a hard-working kid and he was in the right place at the right time, shot the puck, and that's all you ever ask from him. He did the job tonight," Gilbert said.

Gilbert wasn't so pleased with the effort from the other lines. The Jared Ross line, with Andreas Nodl subbing on the wing for the scratched Jason Ward, was scoreless for the second straight night. Some of the best energy came from the checking line of Klotz and Matt Clackson.

"That line, for the most part, was our best line along with Kalinski's line for the entire game," Gilbert said. "And the other guys have to look in the mirror and start to figure it out, because it seems the hardest-working guys our are best lines. Everybody else better pick it up."

The Phantoms again struggled on the power play, going 0 for 4, making the Phantoms 5 for 35 on the season.

Newcomers scored both first-period goals. Albany's Jacon Mickflikier, recalled from the ECHL so late he missed warm-ups, gave Albany a 1-0 lead 13:49 into the first.

Stefan Legein, playing just his second game for the Phantoms since being acquired from Syracuse on Wednesday, tied it five minutes later.

The Phantoms had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the second. After a hard check by Clackson in the Albany end, Fitzgerald jumped him in front of the goal to earn a roughing penalty. On the ensuing power play, Albany's Stefan Chaput broke his stick on the penalty kill. The Phantoms kept the puck in the zone for more than a minute and hit a post, but couldn't get the equalizer.

It was that kind of night.

Adirondack 1 0 1 - 2

Albany 1 1 1 - 3

First Period - 1, Albany, Mickflikier (Herauf, Terry), 13:49; 2, Adirondack, Legein (Matsumoto, Maroon), 18:30. Penalties - Adirondack, Clackson (fighting), 2:53; Albany, Blanchard (fighting), 2:53; Adirondack, Marshall (roughing), 19:22; Albany, Paiement (roughing), 19:22; Adirondack, Bartulis (roughing), 20:00; Adirondack, Jones (roughing), 20:00; Albany, Bellemore (roughing), 20:00.

Second Period - 3, Albany, Dwyer (Samson, Fitzgerald), 16:43. Penalites - Adirondack, Klotz (fighting), 2:41; Albany, Fitzgerald (fighting), 2:41; Albany, Herauf (holding-the-stick), 5:46; Adirondack, Laliberte (slashing) 6:16; Albany, Fitzgerald (roughing), 11:18; Albany, Fitzgerald (hooking), 14:34;

Third Period - 4, Adirondack, Klotz (Lehtivuori, Matsumoto), 9:24; 5, Albany, Boychuk (Chaput), 14:00. Penalties - Albany, Blanchard (interference), 1:26.

Shots on Goal - Adirondack 10-14-7-31. Albany 16-8-9-33.

Power Play Opportunities - Adirondack 0 of 4; Albany 0 of 2.

Goalies - Adirondack, Riopel (33 shots-30 saves). Albany, Peters (31 shots-29 saves).

Referee: Francis Charron.

A - 4,303.