Islanders' Ross Johnston: Suspension served

Duke fell on the road at Virginia Tech 78-75 on Monday night in controversial fashion after a lengthy review of a potential flagrant foul ultimately led to a no-call. The incident came with 13 seconds left in the game after Michael Collins Jr. made a go-ahead basket for the Hokies. As he turned around in excitement, Collins appeared to fist pump right into the throat of Duke big man Kyle Filipowski.

Sheffield cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma by the Mariners on Thursday. Sheffield got the boot off the 40-man roster last week to open up a 40-man roster spot for Tommy La Stella. A former top prospect, Sheffield holds a career 5.47 ERA in 186 innings (33 starts, 15 relief appearances) at the major-league level. It's certainly notable that he didn't draw much interest from other MLB teams on the waiver wire leading into what will be his age-27 campaign.

Alex Ovechkin scored his 32nd goal of the season, Nicklas Backstrom had the shootout winner and the Washington Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Thursday night.

Toews won't play Thursday versus the Flames due to an illness. Toews' absence likely means Luke Philp draws into the lineup, while Jason Dickinson could be in line for more ice time. The Blackhawks' next game is Saturday in Edmonton, but it's unknown if Toews will be healthy enough to play in that contest.

The Buffalo Bills are coming off a disappointing end to their season, losing 27-10 at home against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional round in the playoffs. Entering the offseason, the Buffalo Bills have started looking toward the future and made the tough decision to fire one of their long-tenured coaches.

The National Football League head coaching carousel continues to spin with word that a team is parting ways with their head coach after just months on the job. Jerry Rosburg was hired by the Denver Broncos as an assistant coach to work with in-game management prior to this past season, and after head coach Nathaniel Hackett was fired mid-season, he ended up moving into the head coaching job, with some speculating that he would be kept on for next season and perhaps subsequent seasons.

Decorated amateur boxer Donovan Garcia died at the age of 15.

Kucherov scored a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Wild. After helping to set up Steven Stamkos for the game-winner midway through the third period, Kucherov iced things with an empty-netter. The 29-year-old has found the scoresheet in four straight games and nine of the last 10, racking up six goals and 15 points over that stretch. If he can stay healthy, Kucherov is on track to reach 100 points for the first time since 2018-19.

Andersen (upper body) won't return to Wednesday's game versus the Stars, Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site reports. Andersen was hurt in the first period and didn't return to start the second. Antti Raanta took over in goal and could see an uptick in playing time if Andersen is out for any length of time. Pyotr Kochetkov could also be recalled if Andersen's injury is anything more than just a minor bump. The Hurricanes' next game is Friday versus the Sharks.

Castano (shoulder) cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Jacksonville by the Marlins on Thursday, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. Miami designated Castano for assignment last week as the corresponding 40-man roster move for its completion of a free-agent agreement with veteran starter Johnny Cueto. The 28-year-old left-hander holds a 3.89 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 45:28 K:BB ratio in 85.2 career innings at the MLB level.

Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists, including one on Victor Hedman’s game-winning tally, as the Tampa Bay Lightning

Wilson (lower body) will be a game-time decision for Thursday's showdown with the Penguins, Samantha Pell of The Washington Post reports. Wilson exited in the second period of Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Avalanche and did not partake in Thursday's morning skate, but is officially a game-time call. The 28-year-old winger has two goals and three points in eight games -- alongside a paltry minus-7 rating.

Taylor (back) was traded from Boston to Kansas City on Monday in exchange for Adalberto Mondesi and a player to be named later, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. Taylor owns a 3.69 ERA and a 29.4 percent strikeout rate in 102.1 career innings of relief. The lefty missed all of last season while dealing with back issues, with two separate rehab stints getting paused due to setbacks, but the Royals evidently felt confident enough in his health to acquire him. If he's fully healthy this year, he could be a useful weapon for his new team, though he's unlikely to see many save chances.

Ayton (illness) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against Charlotte, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports. Ayton was downgraded to doubtful earlier in the day, so this latest update comes as no surprise. He'll miss his third straight contest while recovering from an illness.

Wilson (lower body) won't return to Tuesday's game versus the Avalanche. Wilson blocked a shot off of his right leg in the second period, which is the opposite leg from the one he had ACL surgery on last spring. He can be considered day-to-day for now, and he'll likely be evaluated further when the Capitals return home to face the Penguins on Thursday.

Ayton (illness) was present for Wednesday's practice and was spotted taking part in work during the media-access portion of the session, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports. While it's unclear if Ayton was a full or partial participant in the session, his involvement in any capacity bodes well for...

Backstrom (illness) won't play Tuesday versus the Avalanche. Backstrom and T.J. Oshie (personal) are both unavailable, while Alex Ovechkin (lower body) is a game-time decision, which could leave the Capitals thin up front. Alexei Protas will likely take Backstrom's place in the lineup Tuesday.

Tatis (shoulder/wrist/suspension) took batting practice Thursday, Hector Gomez of Z101Digital.com reports. Tatis was cleared to resume baseball activity Jan. 6 and this was his first public step toward returning to the field since. He is expected to be ready to participate at the start of spring training, though he'll still be required to sit out the first 20 games of the season due to a PED suspension. After missing the entire 2022 campaign, Tatis will have high expectations in 2023 after posting an OPS above .930 in all three of his previous seasons in the majors.

Dallas signed Callaway to a reserve/future contract Wednesday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports. Callaway reached an injury settlement with the Chiefs at the end of August, and after clearing the knee injury, he latched on with the Cowboys' practice squad in mid-November. He was never elevated during the regular season and hasn't seen regular-season NFL action since 2020, but with his new contract, he'll be able to stick around Dallas' organization and compete for a roster spot during the offseason.

Gordon has been ruled out for Thursday's game against Cleveland due to right knee soreness. Gordon has played at least 30 minutes in each of his last six appearances, averaging 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 31.3 minutes per game over that stretch. However, he's dealing with a knee issue that will sideline him for the first time since Dec. 27. Jae'Sean Tate (ankle) is also out, so Kenyon Martin, Garrison Mathews and Tari Eason will likely see increased run Thursday.