Flyers’ three-game winning streak snapped in a 5-1 home loss to the Penguins

The good times came to a halt, in more ways than one, on Monday night.

Hosting their Keystone State rivals, the Flyers lost 5-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. After winning three straight and outscoring the opposition 12-8, they gave up a five-spot for the first time since a Nov. 15 loss to the Dallas Stars.

It was the third game in four nights for Philly, who returned home after a productive 3-1-0 road trip. Monday’s defeat, which also came with a possible loss in the lineup, moved the Flyers to 14-8-3 on the season.

Trailing 1-0 after the first period, the Flyers tied the game up in the second. With Pittsburgh’s Erik Karlsson in the box for tripping Travis Konecny and teammate Connor Clifton joining him after taking down Matvei Michkov at the left post 43 seconds later, the Flyers had a two-man advantage. On the ice were Travis Sanheim, Tyson Foerster, Trevor Zegras, Konecny, and Michkov.

» READ MORE: Flyers’ top scorer Tyson Foerster leaves Penguins game with upper-body injury, will not return

With the referee’s hand up for another penalty on Penguins’ Kris Letang, Foerster put the puck on net from the left faceoff circle, and it got past Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry for his team-leading 10th goal of the season.

But with the Flyers still on a five-on-three power play, less than a minute later, he took a pass from Zegras for a one-timer atop the left circle. Foerster appeared to suffer an injury as he shot the puck on goal. He skated off holding his right shoulder, went down the tunnel, and did not return.

Flyers coach Rick Tocchet did not have an update after the game, but hopes it is not long as Foerster is “obviously, he’s a big part of our team.”

Playing their 25th game of the season, the Flyers found themselves in an early hole for the 17th time. And it was Sidney Crosby who gave the opposition the lead.

After Cam York missed a shot wide, the Penguins broke out, and Bryan Rust put a shot on goal from the inside of the right faceoff circle. Dan Vladař had a good line of sight on the shot and made the save, but he wasn’t able to control the rebound, and Crosby scored.

Less than three minutes after Foerster tied the game in the second period, and with Rodrigo Ābols in the box for holding, Crosby put the Penguins back on top. Karlsson skated up the ice with the puck from his own end and carried it wide before sending a cross-ice pass to Rust. The forward dished a backhand to Crosby in the slot, and he fired it home. The Penguins captain has 59 goals and 137 points in 92 games against the Flyers, the most by any player.

Rust then added his own goal on a power play, after Sean Couturier was penalized for — no surprise here — a questionable holding call. He received a cross-ice pass from Evgeni Malkin, spun around, and carried the puck deep into the left circle before sending the puck past the glove of Vladař to make it 3-1, Pittsburgh. Rust used Sanheim as a screen on the play.

The Penguins entered the night with the second-best power play in the NHL (30.4%), while the Flyers had the fourth-best penalty kill (85.1%).

» READ MORE: Travis Konecny is playing with ‘more conviction,’ according to Rick Tocchet. Are the goals about to come?

And Pittsburgh scored again in the third period with the man advantage, this time by Tommy Novak, after Michkov was called for slashing, giving the Penguins a 4-1 lead.

Former Flyers forward Kevin Hayes added another goal on a breakaway, getting behind York after receiving a stretch pass from Parker Wotherspoon.

Philly is now 9-6-2 after trailing 1-0. … Malkin was credited with a goal after a shot by Anthony Mantha went off his shin guard and in. But the Flyers challenged, and a video review determined that Malkin impaired Vladař’s ability to play his position before the goal. … The Flyers put 29 shots on goal and allowed 27. … The Flyers’ power play went 1-for-7, although the last man advantage came in the final 10 seconds of the game. … Forward Nic Deslauriers and defenseman Egor Zamula were the healthy scratches.

The Flyers host the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., TNT).