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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA SPORTS | Vikings Reach 6–0, Timberwolves Stay Unbeaten and Hughes Hits Milestone in Wild Victory
Minnesota’s three active major professional teams won Sunday, October 25, with defensive playmakers, a decisive third quarter and a significant NHL homecoming shaping the results.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (October 26, 2026). The Minnesota Vikings preserved their undefeated season, the Timberwolves won their home opener and the Wild completed a successful Sunday in Vancouver as Minnesota’s active major professional franchises went three-for-three on October 25.
The Vikings defeated Indianapolis 16–10 at U.S. Bank Stadium to improve to 6–0. The Timberwolves beat Toronto 117–94 at Target Center for their third consecutive victory, while the Wild defeated Vancouver 4–2 at Rogers Arena.
Cashman Leads Vikings’ Defense as Minnesota Remains Unbeaten
Blake Cashman supplied one of the most consequential performances of the Vikings’ season, finishing with 12 tackles, two sacks, three quarterback hits and four passes defended.
The Eden Prairie native disrupted Indianapolis both as a pass rusher and in coverage. According to the Vikings, he became the first NFL player since Chicago’s Alex Brown in 2005 to record at least two sacks and four pass breakups in the same game.
Minnesota limited the Colts to 218 net yards and 3.7 yards per play. Indianapolis converted eight of 15 third downs, but the Vikings repeatedly prevented those sustained possessions from becoming touchdowns.
Cashman’s first sack helped force Indianapolis to settle for a field goal before halftime. His second came early in the third quarter, contributing to another stalled possession. Minnesota’s defense finished with four sacks.
“In this defense, we love chaos,” Cashman said in remarks published by the team.
The offense’s decisive sequence arrived with Minnesota trailing 10–6 entering the fourth quarter. Kyler Murray escaped the pocket and ran to the Indianapolis 5-yard line. On the next play, T.J. Hockenson moved behind the formation, caught Murray’s pass and reached the ball inside the pylon for Minnesota’s only touchdown.
The sequence turned a four-point deficit into the Vikings’ first lead and supplied the breakthrough their offense had struggled to produce.
Harrison Smith then secured the outcome with his 40th career interception, adding another milestone to a game Minnesota won through timely offense and sustained defensive pressure.
Timberwolves Break Game Open After Halftime
At Target Center, the Timberwolves delivered a more comfortable finish.
Anthony Edwards scored 26 points on 10-for-18 shooting. LaMelo Ball contributed 15 points and eight assists, while Terrence Shannon Jr. added 15 points off the bench.
Minnesota led by eight at halftime before outscoring Toronto 35–15 in the third quarter. That stretch created a 90–62 advantage entering the fourth and effectively settled the home opener.
The Wolves shot 55.8% overall and 48.4% from three-point range, while winning the rebounding comparison 49–34.
The 3–0 start is Minnesota’s fourth in franchise history and its first since 2019–20, according to Minnesota News Network’s statistical recap. The previous such starts came in 2001–02, 2013–14 and 2019–20.
Edwards reached 85 points through three games, the fifth-highest opening three-game total in team history. Rudy Gobert finished with eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Ball’s perimeter shooting provided another early-season marker. With four made three-pointers Sunday, he became the fourth Timberwolves player to make at least two in each of his first three appearances with the franchise.
Hughes Reaches 500 Points in Vancouver Return
Quinn Hughes reached 500 career NHL points during his first game back in Vancouver, helping Minnesota win 4–2.
Hughes finished with a goal and an assist. Kirill Kaprizov also contributed a goal and an assist, scoring his league-leading 13th goal. Maxim Shabanov and Bobby Brink supplied Minnesota’s other goals.
Calvin Pickard made 15 saves for his first Wild victory. Minnesota built a 4–0 lead before Vancouver scored twice in the third period.
The win followed Saturday’s 5–1 victory in Seattle and moved Minnesota two points ahead of Utah in the Central Division.
Minnesota improved to 8–3–2, completing the back-to-back road games with two victories.
United Looks Toward Wednesday; Frost Camp Opens in November
Minnesota United had no Sunday match result. Its upcoming home calendar includes Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, October 28, at 7:30 p.m. at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, according to the club’s published ticket information.
The Minnesota Frost also had no Sunday game. The PWHL has announced November 18 as the opening date for training camps, placing the team’s formal preseason preparations ahead on the calendar.
The Twins and Lynx were outside their playing seasons and had no October 25 game results. Sunday’s competitive outcomes therefore belonged to the Vikings, Timberwolves and Wild, each of which finished with a victory.
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