‘“The way the league has become, all those divisional matchups are so important,” Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton said. “You get your two points, and you steal two points from someone who’s going to be near you towards the end. You just saw how the wild card was last season with 20 games left. Anyone could have taken those spots, which is crazy. That’s how the league is going. It’s so close, and every point matters.”’