Recent content from Chris Miller

Wolves vs. Denver, Round 1: Who has the edge?
Position-by-position breakdown of the intriguing first-round playoff matchup between the Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets:

Wolves' Gobert hopes to return for must-win game vs. Thunder
The Wolves won three of four games against Oklahoma City during the regular season.

Kaprizov wears 'caution jersey' at Wild practice. How close is return?
Kaprizov participated in his first practice Wednesday since suffering a lower-body injury on March 8. The yellow caution jersey was a sign to teammates for no physical contact.

Wild face Penguins team seeking to extend long playoff streak
Pittsburgh has been in the past 17 Stanley Cup playoffs, but currently is on the outside looking in this season.

Meet the 2023 Twins: A veteran mix of familiar faces, fresh talent
Two things needed after the struggles of last year: More experience and improved versatility. Combine that with the healthy return of several players and the result is a very different roster.

American League power rankings: Astros shine ... and where are Twins?
The defending World Series champions also have a power-laden batting order, including the addition of Jose Abreu, as they prepare to defend their title.

National League power rankings: Can Mets thrive without Diaz?
With Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer at the top of the rotation, New York should have the key ingredient to a great season — but an injury to star closer Edwin Diaz isn't ideal.

Wild optimistically move on without Kirill Kaprizov
The team's leading scorer is out because of an injury, but linemate Mats Zuccarello said, "That's part of hockey."

Struggling Sharks have two wins over Wild heading into last matchup of season
San Jose defenseman Erik Karlsson is shooting to become the first NHL defenseman in the 21st century to get 100 points.

Kaprizov's injury, three-to-four week absence, will shuffle Wild's offense
The record-setting All-Star winger has a lower-body injury after an awkward check in Wednesday's game. Sammy Walker was called up from Iowa.

Former Twins outfielder Sandy Valdespino dies at age 84
After a long stint in the minor leagues, he broke into the big time with the Twins' 1965 World Series team.

Baseball's new rules: Your 20-second guide to the changes on the field
Faster games and more action — that's the hope attached to the rule changes that start today as spring training games get underway.

Injury shuffle: Zuccarello out, Duhaime back in Wild lineup
Brandon Duhaime has missed the past 18 games, while Mats Zuccarello suffered an injury Wednesday against Tampa Bay.

Timberwolves hope to break four-game losing streak vs. Bucks
The Wolves are in a slump, but to end it, they have to try to beat the Central Division leaders.

Wild rookie Walker puts on a showcase in December debut
Native Minnesotan Sammy Walker was called up earlier than he — or anyone — expected to patch up a depleted forward corps.

Wild to face Central Division-leading Stars and their strong special teams
The Wild have won seven of eight heading into the game at Xcel Energy Center.

Walker, Beckman, Sustr called up by Wild
Marcus Foligno went on injured reserve before the team flew to Winnipeg

Wolves-Boston preview: Despite slumps, Celtics have NBA's second-best record
After a hot start, Boston has lost five of six as it heads into Friday's matchup against the Wolves at TD Garden.

Wolves to meet Morant, Memphis in rematch of playoff series
The Timberwolves will be without injured Karl-Anthony Towns, and the Grizzlies are without Desmond Bane.

Timberwolves-Washington game preview: Stopping three top scorers
Even with three players averaging 20-plus points, the Wizards are next to last in the NBA in scoring.

Timberwolves-Indiana game preview: Pacers off to strong start
The Wolves, however, have won four in a row heading into Wednesday's game in Indianapolis.

Timberwolves-Orlando game preview: Magic without No. 1 pick in draft
Forward Paolo Banchero has a sprained ankle entering Wednesday's game against Minnesota.

Timberwolves gameday: Morant, Grizzlies set for Friday-night battle
The Wolves and Grizzlies meet for the first time Friday since their hard-fought first-round playoff series last April. Memphis won it 4-2.

Wild gameday: Kraken has won five in a row, including shutout at Xcel
Seattle has emerged as an early NHL power in its second season in the league.

Wolves-Phoenix game preview: Four-game homestand ends
The Suns will be without Cam Johnson, who had surgery Tuesday to repair a torn meniscus.

Wild-Los Angeles game preview: Another reunion with Fiala
Former Wild forward Kevin Fiala is tied with Gabe Vilardi for the Kings' team lead with 14 points.

Wolves gameday: Bucks have NBA's best record, defensive rating
Milwaukee started the season with seven consecutive victories despite missing two key players.

Timberwolves-Phoenix game preview: No Ayton-Gobert matchup
Suns center Deandre Ayton has a sprained ankle and will be out for the nationally televised game Tuesday night at Footprint Center.

Timberwolves restock their roster with veteran faces
Kyle Anderson, Austin Rivers and Bryn Forbes joined the biggest acquisition, Rudy Gobert.

Twin Cities Marathon is today: Here are 10 things to know
How and when to watch, and what to know about marathon day in the Twin Cities, which also includes a high-profile 10-mile race.

What to know about Twin Cities Marathon, TC 10 Mile this Sunday
Two big races start in downtown Minneapolis and end in St. Paul on one eventful morning. Here's what you need to know about Sunday's race day:

Lynx center Fowles named to All-WNBA second team
Retiring after 15 seasons, Sylvia Fowles has been an all-league selection eight times during her career.

Lamoureux sisters among five new members headed for U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
The Lamoureuxs were college and Olympic stars for the United States, and join Ryan Miller, Steve Cash and Jim Johannson in the Class of 2022.

Lynx center Sylvia Fowles named to WNBA's all-defensive first team
The former league champion and Olympic gold medalist played her final season in 2022.

Wolves open NBA season with home games against Thunder, Jazz
The season opener on Oct. 19 could be the NBA debut of Oklahoma City center Chet Holmgren.

Preseason game preview: Vikings at Raiders
Minnesota's Kevin O'Connell and Vegas' Josh McDaniels make their coaching debuts with their new teams.

Nine Minnesotans drafted. Who they are and where they're going
Jimmy Snuggerud and Sam Rinzel were first round selections, and seven others were chosen on Friday. Six have committed to Minnesota college teams.

Meet the Wild's first-round draft picks
Liam Ohgren was taken at No. 19 and Danila Yurov was nabbed with the 24th pick.

Sweet 16: Top Minnesota prospects in this week's NHL draft
Three Minnesotans are in the top 20 North Americans in the rankings — and all of them have committed to play college hockey for the Gophers.

Welcome to the pack: Four new faces in Timberwolves' 2022 draft class
A closer look at the players and their stats.

Twins vs. Colorado preview: Rockies are struggling
Colorado is 30-40, coming off a sweep at the hands of Miami.

Twins-Rays series preview: Tampa Bay among best MLB pitching
The Rays are challenging in the American League East despite being without a large number of injured pitchers.

Twins preview: Toronto on tap as road trip continues
The Blue Jays are in second place in the powerful American League East.

Twins-Kansas City series preview: AL Central gantlet continues
The first-place Twins have a three-game lead over second-place Chicago, and play either Detroit or KC in their next 15 games.

Series preview: Cleveland visits Twins minus coaches in COVID protocol
Manager Terry Francona is among the group; still, slugger Josh Naylor will need attention
Game 5 recap: St. Louis 5, Wild 2
Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko had a natural hat trick in the third period, which started with the teams tied 2-2.

Twins-Astros preview: Three-game series at Target Field
The teams have the same record, although the Twins are in first place in the AL Central and Houston is second in the AL West.

Twins-Athletics game preview: Josh Winder shoots for second consecutive victory
The rookie righthander entered the rotation when Sonny Gray went on the injured list.

Wednesday's Wild-St. Louis game recap
Kirill Kaprizov netted the Wild's first playoff hat trick in team history.

Game recap: St. Louis 4, Wild 0
The Blues had the edge in special teams and rolled past the host Wild in Game 1 of the NHL playoff series.
Playoff preview: Here's how the Wild and Blues match up
St. Louis won all three regular-season meetings between these two offensively gifted teams. But the Wild is favored in tonight's series opener at the X.

Twins-Tigers preview: Cabrera arrives after 3,000-hit milestone
A weekend sweep of the White Sox moved the Twins into first place in the American League Central.

Twins-White Sox preview: Twins pitchers are hot, hitters are not
The Twins are struggling at the plate, but their starting pitchers have a combined ERA of 2.80.

Twins-Royals preview: Three-game series at Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City snapped a five-game losing streak on Saturday, and hasn't played since.

Former North Stars All-Star winger Tom McCarthy dies at 61
After his career ended, he served prison time but sought redemption by coaching and teaching young players.

Twins-Red Sox preview: Minnesota arrives at Fenway with cold bats
The Twins are hitting only .181 after a 2-4 start at home to the 2022 season.

Twins-L.A. Dodgers series preview: Two new Twins take the mound
Righthanders Chris Archer and Chris Paddack will get their first starts as Twins against the Dodgers' potent lineup.

Urshela bats cleanup as Twins open against Cy Young winner Ray
Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa are batting 1-2 against 2021 Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray, who pitched for Toronto last season. Gio Urshela, formerly of the Yankees, will hit clean-up against the Mariners.

The team in photos: Meet the 2022 Twins Opening Day roster
Carlos Correa's spring training addition adds star power and makes the lineup more versatile. The starting rotation and bullpen have former All-Stars and fledglings.

What you need to know about the Twins' season opener
Check here for time, TV, ticket information and more.

Twins-Mariners preview: Cy Young winner Robbie Ray faces Joe Ryan
Seattle will unveil one of baseball's top prospects as well when 21-year-old outfielder Julio Rodriguez debuts.

Challengers improve, but White Sox are still class of A.L. Central
Chicago was 93-69 last season, even though outfielders Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez missed much of the year because of injuries. Their return adds to an already potent lineup.

100% different: Meet the Twins' all-new starting rotation
The team will open the season with five different starting pitchers than it did to start the 2021 season. Here's what you need to know about them.

National League power rankings: Dodgers on top, Braves looming
The Dodgers won 106 games but not the World Series. They're gearing up for another shot at it.

American League power rankings: Toronto added pitching to its hitting
The Chicago White Sox won the AL Central by 13 games last season, withstanding several key injuries. They're poised to do it again.

Timberwolves gameday: There's still a chance to move out of the play-in tournament
Minnesota has three games remaining, but will need Utah or Denver to fall apart.

A winning season? Here are five keys to the Twins' success
From pitching to catching, from Byron Buxton to Carlos Correa, here are five factors that will help determine whether 2022 is a good year for the Twins.

Timberwolves gameday: Game at Houston step in quest for sixth seed
Catching Denver to avoid the play-in tournament is a long shot, but ... there's still a chance.

A look at the top Twins newcomers for 2022
Gary Sanchez is not alone. Several other prominent players joined the Twins this year.

Wolves facing must-win vs. Denver to avoid Western Conference play-in
Denver is three games ahead of the seventh-seeded Wolves entering Friday's game in the Mile High City.

Wolves-Celtics game preview: Building momentum for a playoff spot
The Wolves will look to start another win streak against a Celtics team fighting for top seed in the East.

Lakers come to Target Center with 10-game losing streak on the road
LeBron James is the first player in NBA history with 30,000 points, 10,000 assists and 10,000 rebounds.