GLENS FALLS -- Last Saturday in Albany, the Adirondack Phantoms got off to an ugly start, giving up the first 11 shots of the game in a loss. Somehow, this effort made that one look good.

Binghamton scored goals on two of its first three shots, and the Senators went on to beat the Phantoms 5-0 on Friday night in front of 3,404 at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

“We were awful, no two ways about it,” Phantoms coach Greg Gilbert said. “Not one iota of our game was executed properly, and that’s what happens.”

Tough starts are nothing new for the Phantoms. They’ve allowed the first goal in 9 of their 13 contests, going 2-7 in those games. Friday, they trailed 3-0 after the first.

“I think tonight, we were ready to play. Everybody was excited in the locker room, everybody felt pretty good. There was a lot of energy in here,” Phantoms captain Jared Ross said. “Then we went out, they got a couple quick goals on us, and we just got to learn to come out and match other teams' intensity a lot quicker. We’re not doing that right now.”

Slow starts aren’t the only thing troubling the Phantoms, who came into the game in sixth place in the East Division.

They’ve scored a league-low 29 goals in 13 games. Jon Matsumoto’s six goals are a team-high. No one else has more than two as a Phantom this season.

Ross and Pat Maroon, who combined for 52 AHL goals last season, have just three between them so far. The Phantoms mustered just 21 shots.

“We don’t shoot the puck,” Gilbert said. “We all think we’re Wayne Gretzkys and Mario Lemieuxs (with) these fancy plays we’re looking for. Put the puck to the net. I guess that’s a hard thing to understand.”

An overhaul in the line combinations didn’t help.

David Laliberte, back after four games with the Flyers, played on the right wing of the line centered by Ross with Andreas Nodl on the left. The last two seasons, Laliberte has played with Matsumoto and Maroon.

Veteran Jason Ward, who’s been playing on that line, was scratched.

“He hasn’t been playing very well, and he’s got some bumps and bruises so it was an opportunity to maybe give him some time to heal up,” Gilbert said. “But one guy wasn’t going to make a difference. Tonight’s loss is a team effort.”

It wasn’t just Binghamton’s early goals that stung, but how easily they came.

On the first, Erik Condra plucked a turnover from Logan Stephenson in the corner and walked in front to score.

On the second, a power-play goal, Josh Hennessy passed cross-ice to a wide-open Cody Bass on the right post who put it into the top corner. Phantoms goalie Johan Backlund didn’t have a chance on either.

He did on the third, however, a slap shot from Denis Hamel on the left wing that beat him shortside. But it was hard to blame Backlund — without a couple of tough saves on breakaways, the score could have been even more lopsided in the first.

“We lost all the puck battles, turnover after turnover after turnover,” Gilbert said. “We just couldn’t handle a pass or make a pass. Way too easy.”

Loose pucks: Earlier Friday, the AHL announced a three-game suspension for Binghamton winger Tim Spencer. He did not play. The three stars were all from Binghamton: goalie Mike Brodeur, Erik Condra and Denis Hamel, who scored twice.

Binghamton (7-7-2-0)      3  1 1  — 5

Adirondack (6-6-1-0)      0 0 0  — 0

First Period — 1, Binghamton, Condra (Hennessy), 5:03; 2, Binghamton, Smith (Hennessy, Condra), 6:57 (pp);  3, Binghamton, Hamel (Bass), 16:19 Penalties — Binghamton, Baier (tripping), 2:00; Adirondack, Klotz (hooking), 6:11; Adirondack, Curry (interference), 17:28; Binghamton, Karlsson (high-sticking), 19:57.

Second Period  — 4, Binghamton, Hamel (Karlsson, Kudelka), 8:54. Penalties  — Binghamton, Karlsson (fighting), 3:10; Adirondack, Clackson (fighting), 3:10; Binghamton, Keller (tripping), 11:43; Binghamton, Kudelka (holding), 18:42.

Third Period  — 5, Binghamton, Smith (Karlsson, St. Pierre), 15:37 (pp) . Penalties — Adirondack, Stephenson (cross-checking), 1:08; Adirondack, Klotz  (elbowing), 8:59; Adirondack, Maroon (elbowing), 15:11; Adirondack, Backlund (delay of game), 18:51. 

Shots on Goal — Binghamton 12-6-11-29. Adirondack 9-6-11-21.

Power Play Opportunities — Binghamton 2 of 6; Adirondack 0 of 5.

Goalies —  Binghamton, Brodeur (21 shots-21 saves). Adirondack, Backlund  (29 shots-24 saves).

Referee — Geno Binda.

A — 3,404.