A lot of folks have mentioned the lack of appropriate clothing in response to this rescue, but it's worth noting that inability to navigate correctly was in fact the direct cause of this rescue.
Even if the hikers had been carrying all of the items listed at the end of the NH F&G write up, I suspect they still would have called for a rescue. It was pretty cold, and while a good puffy would buy them more time, I suspect they would not have been able to navigate the Garfield Ridge trail by headlamp and, faced with a forced overnight, would have called for a rescue. It's impossible to know for sure, but for me personally, standing around in ~0 degree temps, even with all of my clothing on, I find it difficult or impossible to stay warm. If they were able to start a fire, that MIGHT have helped, but I still suspect, absent real overnight gear, they would have called for a rescue.
On the other hand, if the hikers carried a map and compass AND THE ABILITY TO USE THEM, they almost certainly would not have required rescue, even with their poor clothing choices.
I think NH F&G places too much emphasis on having the right gear and not enough emphasis on having the right skill set. I think it's a mistake to think if you simply put 10 (or more) items in your pack you're "prepared." Why not place an equal or greater emphasis on being able to navigate, with the added point that in winter navigation can be REALLY hard?