Thoughts in note form:
– This back-to-back set made a pretty good case for more divisional home-and-homes in the regular season schedule. The Friday game was tight checking and a bit of a snore fest, and while this game was about as equally tight checking, it was played with a physical intensity akin to playoff time. Every check was getting finished and just about every net-front scramble brought about a scrum. The schedule makers should build more of these into the calendar.
– Make that 3-0-0 with Auston Matthews out of the lineup while scoring 11 goals over the three games (granted, two were empty-netters).