You're tuned into Sports Desk, let's get after it.
Colorado took a gut punch Thursday night in Ottawa. Both Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar left the game with lower-body injuries during the second intermission, with the Avalanche already trailing the Senators two to one. Losing either player would be damaging — losing both at the same time is a genuine crisis for a team with championship expectations.
Meanwhile the NBA handed down its verdict on Marcus Smart. The Houston Rockets guard is suspended three games without pay after throwing a punch that made contact with Golden State's Charles Bassey during Wednesday's game. The league was clear in its statement — contact was made with Bassey's face, and the suspension is effective immediately. Smart's absence will sting a Rockets squad fighting for positioning out West.
And in college football, the Arizona Cardinals are handing rookie Carson Beck his NFL debut under the brightest possible lights. Gardner Minshew's season-ending injury forced the team's hand, and now Beck's first assignment is surviving a pass rush featuring both Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett. That is not a soft landing for any young quarterback trying to find his footing at the next level.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
