While sometimes “culture” is a word used to cover-up various other flaws (of which the Washington Capitals had many at the time), they truly needed a shock to the system.
The Capitals missed the playoffs in the 2013-2014 season on the back of a fluttering defense and inconsistent offensive attack. The end result was the dismissal of general manager George McPhee and head coach Adam Oates and a barrel of questions about the future of the franchise.
After Brian MacLellan replaced the former and Barry Trotz replaced the latter, the two set out to fix the Capitals defense.