• It's not often that a team has two 11-game losing streaks in the same season, and it's even more rare to have a chance to end both streaks in the same place. The Wolves fit that description, as they will try to stop their second 11-game skid at Sacramento on Monday — exactly where they finally won on Dec. 26 to stop their first 11-game streak.

• If the Wild is going to make a move in the Western Conference standings, games like Tuesday's against Chicago at Xcel Energy Center will tell a lot of the story. The Wild is four points behind the Blackhawks, with both teams hanging around the edges of the playoff race.

• A tumultuous stretch for the Badgers men's basketball program served as a backdrop for one of Wisconsin's best wins of the season Saturday over Michigan State. The Gophers will see the Badgers next at Williams Arena on Wednesday — a critical game, as they all seem to be, for Minnesota's NCAA tournament hopes.

• The NBA trade deadline arrives Thursday, and we'll see if there are any major moves to be made leaguewide and with the Timberwolves. Minnesota fans might not want to hear it, but a team like the Wolves might be best off waiting until the offseason to address major roster needs.

• The narrative of the Gophers men's hockey season has shifted dramatically. Suddenly, Minnesota is one of five teams within one point of first place in the Big Ten standings. The Gophers and Michigan State, both part of that pack, have played two fewer games than the other three teams. And they play each other Friday and Saturday in Minneapolis in a huge series.