EDMONTON, Alberta — The lowest point in Buffalo Bandits franchise history arguably came Saturday night at the Rexall Center as the Bandits were thoroughly outplayed in an 11-7 loss to the Edmonton Rush before a home-opener crowd of 7,102.

The defeat sank the Bandits' record to 0-4 and marked the worst start of a season since the

National Lacrosse League team was founded in 1992.

Buffalo, playing in the second Western Conference arena in as many nights, never was in

contention. And until the final minutes it looked like the team might score a franchise-low

five goals for the second time this season.

The Rush (2-1) scored just 1:17 into the game and never trailed. The Bandits tied it when

Billy Dee Smith scored to make it 2-2 at 8:27 of the first quarter.

Edmonton led, 5-3, at intermission and opened an 11-5 lead in the fourth quarter before

Buffalo's Brett Bucktooth and Mike Accursi scored in garbage time.

Buffalo star John Tavares, the league's all-time leading scorer, still remained on the

sidelines with an injured calf.

Buffalo goaltender Ken Montour, who left with an injury in the second period of Friday's 13-11

loss to the Washington Stealth in Everett, Wash., returned to the lineup to stop only 38 of

the Rush's 49 shots.

Sean Greenhalgh, Bucktooth and Accursi each scored twice for Buffalo. Mark Steenhuis and

Ian Llord had three assists.

The Rush's Ryan Ward scored a game-high four goals and added four assists.

In the third quarter, Edmonton's Andy Secore scored at the start of a four-on-four sequence

to gain a 6-3 lead. Buffalo had been on a power play before Tommy Montour went to the penalty

box for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Greenhalgh scored his second goal of the game after he took a pass from Bucktooth and

tallied on a low, hard shot from close in at 9:37 to bring Buffalo back to within 6-4.

Edmonton bounced right back when Ward faked past a defender and got his hat trick for a 7-4

lead. It grew to 8-4 on Secore's running shot that video replay showed went into the net just

before he stepped into the crease.

The game played out in similar fashion to Friday's loss at Washington when the Bandits

trailed, 4-2, after the first quarter and 7-6 at the half.

The Bandits next play the Minnesota Swarm on Saturday at HSBC Arena.