MINNEAPOLIMEDIA SPORTS | Kaprizov Lifts Wild Past Columbus as Vikings Rest and Timberwolves Prepare for Season Opener

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (October 19, 2026). The Minnesota Wild supplied the only game result among Minnesota’s seven major professional franchises Sunday, October 18, defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 2–1 at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul.

The Vikings were on their scheduled bye, the Timberwolves had completed their preseason, and Minnesota United had played Saturday. The Twins and Lynx had finished their seasons, while the Frost were preparing for a November training camp.

Minnesota’s Major Seven: Sunday, October 18

The Twins’ final record is confirmed by MLB’s standings. The WNBA bracket confirms Minnesota’s first-round exit, while the Frost’s announcement places training camp in November.

Wild: Kaprizov’s Power-Play Winner Makes the Difference

Kirill Kaprizov scored his NHL-leading 10th goal, and Jesper Wallstedt stopped 13 shots as Minnesota improved to 6–2–1. The Wild remained unbeaten through four home games and earned their fourth victory in five outings.

Danila Yurov opened the scoring late in the first period. Adam Fantilli answered one minute later, before Kaprizov put Minnesota ahead for good on a second-period power play.

Corrected Scoring Summary

Fantilli’s goal came in the first period, and Kaprizov’s winner came in the second. Those are corrections to the scoring sequence in the earlier account.

Key Player Statistics

Minnesota outshot Columbus 34–14. Kaprizov and Yurov generated nine of those shots between them.

The Wild next visit Edmonton on Tuesday, October 20, beginning a five-game road trip.

Vikings: Undefeated Record Carries Through the Bye

The Vikings did not play Sunday. Their most recent game was a 23–13 victory at New Orleans on October 11, which moved Minnesota to 5–0 entering its Week 6 bye.

They return October 25 against Indianapolis at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Next Four Vikings Games

All times are Central Time.

The schedule places road games against both Detroit and Green Bay around the Monday night meeting with Buffalo.

Timberwolves: No Sunday Game Before Wednesday’s Opener

Minnesota did not host Toronto on October 18. The Timberwolves’ preseason finale was Friday, October 16, at Chicago.

Their regular season begins Wednesday, October 21, at Miami. Toronto visits Target Center on October 25.

Opening Regular-Season Schedule

All times are Central Time.

The opening stretch includes a Florida trip, the home opener against Toronto and a road game in Cleveland the following evening.

Minnesota United: Sunday Off After Saturday’s Comeback

The Loons’ 3–2 victory over St. Louis CITY SC belongs to Saturday, October 17.

Minnesota recovered from a two-goal deficit at Allianz Field. AZ Jackson began the comeback, Kelvin Yeboah equalized and Marcus Caldeira scored the winner in the 86th minute.

The result ended St. Louis’ 21-match unbeaten run across all competitions, according to Minnesota United’s official recap. It also gave the Loons a significant result as they continued pursuing a playoff place.

There was no additional Minnesota United result Sunday.

Twins: No Sunday Game

The Twins were in the offseason after completing a 77–85 regular season.

Lynx: First-Round Exit, Rather Than a Deep Playoff Run

Minnesota’s season had ended before October 18. New York eliminated the Lynx 2–0 in their best-of-three opening-round series.

The earlier description of a “deep playoff run” was inaccurate. Minnesota entered the postseason as the top seed after a 33–11 regular season but did not advance beyond the first round.

Frost: Camp Roster Announced, Practices Still Ahead

The Frost had no game Sunday and had not yet opened official training camp.

Minnesota announced a 30-player camp roster, with players scheduled to report to the ice at TRIA Rink when PWHL camps open November 18.

Preseason scrimmages are scheduled against Las Vegas on November 22 and Vancouver on November 23 in Henderson, Nevada. The regular-season opener is December 5 at San Jose.

Sunday’s competitive result was therefore a Wild victory. The other six franchises were on a bye, between games or outside their playing seasons.

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