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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Wild Extend Road Winning Streak in Boston as Timberwolves Fall and Vikings Prepare for Cousins' Return
Minnesota's hockey team continues its strong start with an 11-game point streak, the Timberwolves suffer their fourth defeat, and Kirk Cousins prepares to make his first Vikings start since 2023 against Green Bay.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (November 15, 2026).
The Minnesota Wild extended one of the NHL's strongest early-season runs Saturday with a 6–2 victory over the Boston Bruins, while the Minnesota Timberwolves saw their five-game winning streak end in a 117–106 home loss to the Chicago Bulls.
The contrasting results came ahead of another significant development in Minnesota sports. Kirk Cousins, reacquired by the Vikings from the Las Vegas Raiders earlier in the week, is scheduled to start Sunday's NFC North game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
For the Wild, Saturday's victory strengthened their position near the top of the NHL standings. For the Timberwolves, the loss exposed offensive difficulties that had been largely absent during their recent winning stretch. The Vikings, meanwhile, are turning to a familiar quarterback after consecutive defeats.
Wild continue their surge with commanding victory in Boston
Ryan Hartman and Danila Yurov scored twice apiece as Minnesota defeated Boston at TD Garden, improving to 15–3–4 and extending its point streak to 11 games.
The Wild have gone 9–0–2 during that stretch and have won eight consecutive road games. Their 10 road victories lead the NHL.
Minnesota established control early when Hartman opened the scoring at 6:54 of the first period. Quinn Hughes and Blake Coleman then scored 67 seconds apart early in the second, giving the Wild a 3–0 advantage.
Boston responded with a power-play goal from Fraser Minten, but Hartman scored again 75 seconds later to restore Minnesota's three-goal lead.
David Pastrnak brought the Bruins within 4–2 early in the third period. Yurov answered less than two minutes later before adding an empty-net goal to complete the scoring.
Coleman finished with a goal and two assists. Hughes contributed a goal and an assist, while Kirill Kaprizov recorded two assists. Goaltender Jesper Wallstedt made 30 saves.
The victory also extended the individual point streaks of Kaprizov and Hughes to 11 games.
Kaprizov has accumulated six goals and 14 assists during the run, while Hughes has five goals and 12 assists. Hughes also matched the longest point streak by a defenseman in Wild history, a mark he established during his first season with Minnesota.
The defensive performance was particularly notable because Brock Faber made his season debut after missing the opening portion of the schedule with a skull fracture sustained during a September preseason game.
Faber recorded an assist, finished with a plus-4 rating and played 24 minutes, 29 seconds.
Minnesota has outscored opponents 34–12 during its eight-game road winning streak, a reflection of the team's ability to generate offense while limiting opposing scoring opportunities.
The Wild return home to face the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.
Timberwolves' winning streak ends against Chicago
The Timberwolves struggled offensively Saturday at Target Center, falling 117–106 to the Chicago Bulls and dropping to 9–4.
Minnesota entered the game riding five consecutive victories but fell behind early after scoring only 17 points in the first quarter, its lowest-scoring opening period of the season.
The Timberwolves missed their first 13 attempts from three-point range and finished 9-for-38 from beyond the arc.
Chicago, despite entering the contest short-handed and experiencing travel delays that pushed its arrival in Minnesota to game day, controlled much of the contest.
Norman Powell led the Bulls with 23 points, while Matas Buzelis added 18 points and nine rebounds. Buddy Hield and Tre Jones each contributed 16 points off the bench.
Ayo Dosunmu led Minnesota with 24 points against his former team, including 14 in the third quarter as the Timberwolves attempted to recover from their first-half deficit.
LaMelo Ball added 19 points.
Chicago shot 48.9% from the field and 46.7% from three-point range, compared with Minnesota's 41.8% overall shooting and 23.7% from beyond the arc.
The Bulls also scored 54 points in the paint, repeatedly finding opportunities near the basket.
Minnesota's inability to establish consistent perimeter shooting made its comeback difficult, despite a stronger third quarter.
The Timberwolves will seek to recover Monday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers.
Cousins returns as Vikings face Packers at Lambeau Field
The Vikings enter Sunday's matchup against Green Bay with a 6–2 record and an opportunity to end a two-game losing streak.
Their most significant change comes at quarterback.
Cousins, 38, was acquired Tuesday from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a third-round selection in the 2027 NFL Draft. Head coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed Friday that Cousins would start against the Packers.
The decision places Cousins back in charge of Minnesota's offense just five days after the trade.
He previously played for the Vikings from 2018 through 2023, including two seasons under O'Connell. That familiarity has become important as Minnesota attempts to stabilize an offense that struggled in recent losses.
Cousins' last appearance at Lambeau Field as a Vikings quarterback came on October 29, 2023, when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon that ended his season.
He subsequently played for the Atlanta Falcons before joining Las Vegas for the first portion of the 2026 season.
His return to Green Bay carries implications beyond the circumstances of the trade.
The Packers enter Sunday's game at 6–3, making the matchup important to the NFC North standings. Minnesota won the teams' earlier meeting and could complete a regular-season sweep with another victory.
O'Connell has expressed confidence in Cousins' ability to reacquaint himself with the offense, although the quarterback has had limited preparation time with his new teammates.
Minnesota's defense will also face a substantial challenge against quarterback Jordan Love and a Green Bay offense seeking to continue its recent success.
The Vikings and Packers are scheduled to kick off at noon Central Time.
Frost prepare for upcoming season as other franchises enter offseason
The Minnesota Frost are approaching the next stage of their preparations for the Professional Women's Hockey League season.
Training camp is scheduled to open November 18, followed by preseason games November 22 and 23. The regular season begins December 5.
Minnesota United FC, the Minnesota Lynx and the Minnesota Twins are in their respective offseasons.
For those organizations, attention has shifted toward roster decisions, player development and preparations for the next competitive season.
The Twins concluded their 2026 campaign with a 77–85 record, while Minnesota United and the Lynx have completed their postseason schedules.
A consequential weekend for Minnesota's winter teams
The Wild enter the coming week with considerable momentum, having sustained an 11-game point streak and established themselves as one of the NHL's strongest road teams.
The Timberwolves face a different immediate challenge after Saturday's defeat exposed weaknesses in their perimeter shooting and defensive execution.
For the Vikings, Sunday's game could help determine whether the return of Cousins provides the offensive stability Minnesota has been seeking.
With the Wild continuing their rise, the Timberwolves attempting to regroup and the Vikings preparing for a divisional contest, Minnesota's three active major men's professional teams enter the next several days with distinctly different challenges.
The results will help shape the early-season outlook for the state's winter sports landscape.
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