Mark Madden: Change of style could solve Penguins' problems, but ego stands in the way

If the Pittsburgh Penguins don’t have a good, hard think about doing what’s needed instead of what they prefer, they could be buried by Thanksgiving. No playoffs for the first time since 2006.

The Penguins are too old, not fast enough and not good enough to play a high-octane blitzkrieg attack style for 60 minutes vs. every foe every night. It’s not 2017.

The blown leads confirm that. So do the turnovers. So does the general sloppiness. The list of problems is lengthy. The stench is overwhelming.

Indulge ego, go splat. That’s what’s happening.

It’s not an arrogant form of ego. The Penguins, particularly their coach and core, sincerely believe they can operate as they always have. They’re convinced, not conceited.

But the tape doesn’t lie. Consider Wednesday’s loss at Buffalo.

Evgeni Malkin gave away the puck on Buffalo’s tying goal. He ignored a safe play down the boards.

On Buffalo’s winning tally, defenseman Marcus Pettersson joined a Penguins rush. That’s what the Penguins’ system dictates: Defensemen activate. But the puck was turned over, and Buffalo converted a two-on-one.

How much does Pettersson help by activating? He isn’t Kris Letang. Be more conservative to protect a tie on the road with under 10 minutes left in regulation.

Nobody is suggesting the Penguins trap for 60 minutes.

But when the Penguins lead by two or three, not conceding the next goal should take priority over scoring the next goal. Shortening the game via a dose of trapping might serve well.

Trapping teams can effectively counterattack off turnovers. Montreal did that in the ’70s when Scotty Bowman coached. The Canadiens won six Stanley Cups that decade. The Canadiens scored 387 goals in 1976-77.

If it worked for Guy Lafleur, it might work for Sidney Crosby. Rely on guile, not just legs.

But the Penguins are addicted to their style.

They kicked the habit briefly in Game 3 of last year’s playoff series against the New York Rangers.

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The Penguins led 4-1 after one period. But the Rangers tied the score with three second-period goals. Things felt spooky.

But Danton Heinen gave the Penguins a 5-4 lead midway through the third period. The Penguins trapped and cycled the rest of the game, adding two empty-net goals for a 7-4 win.

But in Games 5 and 6, they led by two goals and never trapped. That was with a minor-leaguer playing goal.

In Game 7, they twice led by one and never trapped.

The Penguins would apparently rather lose their way than win via compromise. That’s what happened in those playoffs, and it’s happening now.

The burden of making it right falls primarily on Crosby, Letang and Malkin.

The core three got exactly what they wanted: To be the three amigos, to ride into the sunset together, to spend their whole NHL careers in Pittsburgh and as teammates.

It’s up to them to make this work and to make the most of it.

Crosby and Malkin are averaging over a point per game, but who cares? The idea is to impact winning. That goes beyond the stat sheet.

The only way the Penguins will ever adjust their style is if the core three see a need.

They won’t.

This is on coach Mike Sullivan, too.

Sullivan has been rightly feted for his accomplishments. He’s the only Penguins coach with two Stanley Cups. He’s the winningest coach in franchise history and, when the Penguins lost to Boston on Wednesday, Sullivan also became the team’s all-time leader in games coached.

Is Sullivan the Penguins’ best coach ever? Perhaps.

But if, say, Herb Brooks saw the need to overhaul the team’s method, he’d do it. And wouldn’t poll the dressing room before doing so.

In 1992, the Penguins trailed Washington three games to one in the first round of the playoffs. The Capitals had scored 20 goals in the four games.

Mario Lemieux suggested going to a trap. The Penguins did. They forced the Capitals to make a plethora of mistakes in the neutral zone. The Penguins won the series and, ultimately, their second straight Cup.

The greatest offensive force in hockey history knew when it was time to go more defensive. That was far from Lemieux’s style.

But Lemieux wanted to win.

So do Crosby, Letang and Malkin. Crosby’s competitive fire burns brighter than almost any athlete’s.

But the Penguins need an epiphany that leads them to the path most effectively traveled.