ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The second period had barely begun and already the game was close to being over.
In less than four minutes, the Skipjacks gave up three goals and their lead to the Rochester Americans, losing last night's American Hockey League game, 6-4, at the War Memorial.
The defeat also cost the Jacks (5-6-3) second place in the Southern Division. They fell one point behind the Amerks (7-5-0).
"The standings don't matter right now," defenseman Ken Sabourin said. "It's a matter of them beating us two times now. If we don't start beating them, that's our playoff spot."
The game was the Jacks' third in three nights and their second straight loss.
"It's not like we haven't done that before," Sabourin said of the hectic weekend. "We don't have any excuses. We're a young team, we're all in good shape."
The Amerks all but wrapped up last night's game in 3:55 of the second period, when Peter Ciavaglia, Scott Thomas and Dan Frawley scored for a 4-2 lead.
Ciavaglia added a goal late in the second period, and Frawley scored his third goal on his third shot of the game at 3:39 of the third period. Reggie Savage and Tim Taylor scored late in the third period for the Jacks.
"Six-four flattered us," coach Barry Trotz said, referring to the final score. "It could have been a lot worse."
What didn't make the Jacks look good was a wraparound goal by Frawley 34 seconds after John Byce had given the Jacks a 2-0 lead in the first period, followed by the three quick goals in the second.
"We weren't very committed to getting the puck out of our end," Trotz said.
"We knew what they were going to do," Sabourin said. "They did their job. They forechecked us. They were the more physical team."
Ciavaglia tied the game at 2-2 at 1:02 of the period when he tapped in a rebound of Jozef Cierny's shot that goalie Byron Dafoe had stopped. The rebound lay just beyond his reach as he dived back with his stick extended, in a perfect spot for Ciavaglia.
Moments later, the Jacks had a chance to regain control when Savage broke in alone on Olaf Kolzig, but the puck bounced up and the goaltender stuck his pad in the way.
"If we score, all of a sudden the momentum is swinging back," Trotz said.
At the other end, the Amerks scored twice in 37 seconds, on Thomas' redirection of Ciavaglia's pass with Brad Schlegel in the penalty box, and Frawley's one-time backhand.
Baltimore 2 0 2 -- 4
Rochester 1 4 1 -- 6
First period -- 1, Baltimore, Slaney 2 (unassisted) sh, 1:57; 2 Baltimore, Byce 7 (Boback, Savage) 15:20 pp; 3, Rochester, Frawley 3 (O'Donnell, Simon) 15:54. Penalties -- Sabourin, Balt (high sticking) :12; Babcock, Balt (roughing) 3:30; Klee, Balt (holding) 7:40; Frawley, Roch (slashing) 13:55.
Second period -- 4, Rochester, Ciavaglia 7, (Cierny) 1:02; 5, Rochester, Thomas 12 (Ciavaglia, Snell) 4:20 pp; 6, Rochester, Frawley 4 (Simon) 4:57; 7, Rochester, Ciavaglia 8 (Cierny, Snell) 17:52. Penalties -- Schlegel, Balt (cross-checking) 4:06; Iakovenko, Roch (elbowing) 11:04; Gage, Roch (cross-checking) 12:10; Mathieson, Balt (holding) 15:00; Sabourin, Balt (cross-checking) 17:03.
Third period -- 8, Rochester, Frawley 5 (Snell, Simon) 3:39; 9, Baltimore, Savage 7 (unassisted) 10:23; 10, Baltimore, Taylor 2 (Boback, Byce) 17:51. Penalties -- Sabourin, Balt (roughing)6:49; Halverson, Balt (roughing, fighting) 14:40; DiVita, Roch (roughing, fighting) 14:40.
Shots on goal -- Baltimore 13-8-8-29; Rochester 12-13-11-36. Power-play opportunities -- Baltimore 1 of 3; Rochester 2 of 7. Goalies -- Baltimore - Dafoe, 4-3-3, (36 shots, 30 saves). Rochester - Kolzig 4-3-0 (29-25). Referee -- Richard Trottier. Linesmen -- Scott Driscoll, Rob Hearn. A -- 4,503.