The match-up calculating seems like a fool's errand. I've felt like almost every year in the playoffs beginning with - and since - the Montreal debacle, the Caps most formidable foe has been . . . the Caps. In 07-08 when we lost to the Flyers and in 08-09 when we lost to the Pens, we lost to the better team. Since then, my view is that for the most part we lose series by beating ourselves. We win them by not beating ourselves.
Maybe it will be different this year, because we look so old and slow and sluggish right now. But if what we see right now is all that we can bring to the table, then anybody is better than us, and so the matchup game again doesn't matter - but for an entirely different, and more deflating, reason.