• A win over Seattle helps the Vikings more than a loss would hurt them, but make no mistake: The Vikings' game on Monday against the Seahawks will in many ways define this season.
• It's early to be soul-searching, but that seems to be where the Wild is already. An 11-4-2 start has given way to poor play, and a Tuesday home game against Montreal carries extra importance.
• The NCAA volleyball Final Four starts Thursday at Target Center. A pair of Big Ten teams made it (Illinois and Nebraska), and it's going to feel awfully strange that the Gophers aren't one of them.
