No. 8 Michigan State secured at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship without even stepping on the court. On Thursday night, the Spartans have a chance to claim the outright title with a road win against Iowa. The Spartans (24-5, 15-3 Big Ten) benefited from Michigan’s 71-65 loss to Maryland on Wednesday, ensuring that at worst, they will share their first conference title since 2019-20. However, a loss to Iowa would open the door for the Wolverines to grab a share of the crown when the two rivals meet Sunday in East Lansing. For head coach Tom Izzo, winning the regular-season title is significant, but it’s not the final goal. “There’s other goals that we have,” Izzo

The Detroit Red Wings had an opportunity to create separation in the Eastern Conference wild-card race, but after three consecutive losses, they must regroup quickly to keep their playoff hopes alive. Detroit will look to get back on track when it hosts Utah on Thursday night. Detroit’s recent struggles include back-to-back losses to Columbus before a 2-1 home defeat against Carolina on Tuesday. The Red Wings were outshot 30-25 and lost 29 of 48 faceoffs in that game. McLellan attempted to shake things up by adjusting his lines, moving 6-foot-8 forward Elmer Soderblom to the first line alongside Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin. The move paid off as Soderblom scored Detroit’s lone goal. Meanwhile, rookie Marco Kasper transitioned from wing

The Tampa Bay Lightning will look to continue their offensive dominance when they host the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. Tampa Bay enters the matchup with one of the NHL’s most potent offenses, ranking second in the league with 218 goals and averaging 3.56 goals per game. The Lightning rebounded from a tough 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Monday by crushing the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 on Tuesday. On the other hand, the Sabres are struggling through another forgettable campaign, coming off a humiliating 6-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks. Buffalo is riding a four-game losing streak and has dropped 14 of its last 18 games. With the trade deadline approaching on Friday, Buffalo could see some

The Florida Panthers are in prime form, having won four straight games, and they just got even stronger. After acquiring All-Star defenseman Seth Jones, the defending Stanley Cup champions are laser-focused on securing the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Their next challenge? The surprising Columbus Blue Jackets, who are battling for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The two teams met once earlier this season, with the Panthers claiming a tight 4-3 victory in Columbus back in October. Thursday’s matchup in Sunrise, Florida, promises to be a high-stakes battle between a Stanley Cup contender and a Blue Jackets team fighting to stay in playoff position. Jones, a five-time All-Star defenseman, made his Panthers debut in Monday’s 2-1 win