WASHINGTON -- During the 20 years since the Washington Capitals last advanced beyond the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they've been asked about the past so often they have little new to offer on the subject.
They've gone into the playoffs under the spotlight as Presidents' Trophy winners and Stanley Cup favorites and under the radar as underdogs with little expected of them. The players and even the uniforms have changed, and somehow it always seems to end with, as general manager Brian MacLellan put it, "the same cut and paste stuff."
Capitals 'a different team right now' entering playoffs
Aim to put recent postseason disappointments behind them after unexpected division title
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