Playoffs Still Not A Good Barometer For Team Quality

During the airing of the HBO special 24/7, I critiqued the Capitals’ rebuilding project with the truism that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  I argued that it’s regular season success, and not wins in the short series that define the playoffs, that measure a team’s quality.  Yet Capitals’ management tried to revamp its team, and the result was fewer regular season wins, a surprisingly close opening round of the playoffs, and now a 3-0 hole in the second round.  If they exit now are they going to change the entire team philosophy again?  Overreacting to playoff problems is a vicious circle.  The Cup should be the goal, but the way to build a Cup-worthy team is to build the best team, which is the one that wins the most games over the grueling long haul.  Understand that that doesn’t mean always winning every playoff series is the mark of a mature GM.