The Colorado Rapids missed a golden opportunity to put the Seattle Sounders in a serious hole in their Western Conference finals showdown on Tuesday.No matter. The Rapids are coming home with a trip to the MLS Cup on the line, and they feel good about their situation heading into Sundays second leg against the Sounders.I feel really comfortable with the mindset of that group in that locker room, Rapids coach Pablo Mastroeni told The Denver Post after the Rapids 2-1 loss in the first leg of the series in Seattle on Tuesday. They understand that were in a better position than we were against L.A.The Rapids lost the first leg of that series, 1-0, but came back to win in kicks a week later to advance. It continued their season of success at Dicks Sporting Goods Park, where they have allowed just seven goals and were just the fifth team in league history to be undefeated at home.Not lost in all this is the fact that the Sounders won Tuesday night and have the edge. They can negate Colorados advantage by scoring at least one goal, something the L.A. Galaxy was unable to do three weeks ago after beating the Rapids at home.Seattle is confident and ready for the challenge.Since weve taken over, theres only one game that we havent scored a goal. Only one, Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer told The Denver Post. So, that changes things. We understand that soccers a fluid game. It could end up 1-0 for them, it could end up 3-1 for us. It could be a variety of scores. I think if you did the math, 1-0 to them, sure; 2-1 is overtime. Theres a lot of scores -- 0-0, 1-1, 2-2 -- a lot of scores go in our favor as well.Colorado is playing without star goalkeeper Tim Howard, who was injured playing the U.S. national team between the series against the Galaxy and Seattle. Howard suffered fracture of the right adductor longus, located in the upper groin, and had season-ending surgery on Nov. 17.Zac MacMath started the first leg of the series and is expected to be start Sunday, too.The Sounders were in trouble when Colorados Kevin Doyle scored in the 13th minute Tuesday night, but they quickly responded with Jordan Morris goal in the 20th minute.It stayed tied until the second half when Nicolas Lodeiro made it 2-1 on a penalty kick. Colorado defenseman Marc Burch was called for a foul in the box that led to the kick, but he thought Lodeiro embellished the contact.Its not a penalty, Burch told The Denver Post. Thats pretty much it. I went close to Lodeiro and he fell down, thats it. I dont think flopping in the box is something thats called for. But thats what he did.Seattle held on, and now theyll try to do what nobody has in a long time in Colorado -- get a goal.We have to score a goal down there and its not just sitting back and protecting this 2-1 lead for 90 minutes, Morris told soundersfc.com. We have to push and go at them. When the game gets tough, we have to continue to try and keep the ball and do the stuff that were good at. Cheap Custom Vancouver Canucks Jerseys . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. Cheap Custom Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. http://www.nhldiscount.us.com/Authentic-edmonton-oilers-custom-jerseys/ . Team physician Dr. Steve Traina performed the surgery Friday. Robinson was injured in a spill underneath the Nuggets basket during the first quarter of Wednesday nights loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. Cheap Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Cheap Minnesota Wild Jerseys . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan keeps insisting there isnt a switch his team can flip that makes two-goal deficits vanish within a matter of minutes.It just seems that way.Bryan Rust had his first career hat trick, Sidney Crosby added his NHL-leading 17th goal and the Penguins raced past the Ottawa Senators 8-5 on Monday night. Pittsburgh poured in six goals over the final 32 minutes after spotting the Senators a 4-2 lead.This group has provided enough evidence that regardless of what happens, we have the firepower, the talent level, the capability to win games, Sullivan said. Theres a belief that regardless of what the score is, we can win.Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel each had a goal and two assists for the Penguins, and Matt Cullen and Justin Schultz also scored. Matt Murray made 17 saves after relieving an ineffective Marc-Andre Fleury in the second period.Anytime youre forced to change goalies it gets everybodys attention, Cullen said.Pittsburgh has won three straight overall and improved to 7-0-2 in its last nine against the Senators. The Penguins also won a game in which they trailed by two for the 13th time since Sullivan took over as coach last December.This team (Pittsburgh), you just open the door a little bit and theyll just barge in, Ottawa coach Guy Boucher said. So, we have to be better with a two-goal lead, thats for sure. Well learn how to do that.Matt Stone had a goal and two assists for the Senators. Erik Karlsson, Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone and Dion Phaneuf also scored for Ottawa, which lost in regulation for just the second time in its last eight games.Craig Anderson spent most of the night under siege by the Penguins and stopped 36 of the 43 shots he faced before being pulled following Rusts successful penalty shot 12:36 into the third. Rust picked up his first hat trick since his college days playing for Notre Dame on an empty-netter with 2:28 remaining. The crowd waited until the goal was upheld on review before showering the ice with hats.I just think they didnt think I would get a hat trick, joked Rush, who finished with four points in all.Rust opened the scoring by taking a pretty feed from Malkin and jamming it by Anderson just 1:45 into the game, setting the tone for a wild three periods that produced 13 goals on a combined 80 shoots.ddddddddddddThe Senators chased Fleury when Hoffman pounded home a one-timer from the right circle to make it 4-2 at 7:08 of the second period. Fleury stopped 12 of 16 shots and was hurt by shoddy play in front of him and at least one bad bounce: Stone knocked a carom off the glass behind the Pittsburgh goal out of midair and into the open net.You hate to leave your goalie hanging out to dry, Cullen said. The goals we gave up, there were a couple that were unfortunate. Murray entered to a loud ovation from the 445th consecutive sellout crowd in Pittsburgh and his team responded almost immediately, scoring three times in a span of 6:09 to take the lead. Cullens short-handed breakaway sparked the surge. Kessel tied it with a nasty wrist shot from between the circles and Schultz finished it with a wrist shot of his own to give the Penguins a 5-4 lead.Ottawa stuck with Anderson, making his first start since taking a brief leave of absence to be with his wife as she battles throat cancer, even after the deluge. It backfired. Malkin squeezed past two defenders to flip a backhand by Anderson 1:05 into the third to put the Penguins up 6-4.Phaneuf brought the Senators back within one with Ottawas third power-play goal, but Pittsburghs beleaguered penalty killers finally got a stop a couple of minutes later and Rust went high with the backhand on his penalty shot to give the Penguins the breathing room they needed.Game notes Ottawa went 3 for 5 on the power play. The Senators had scored just 10 times with the man advantage coming in. ... Pittsburgh went 0 for 4 on the power play. ... Pittsburgh has won 28 straight games in which Crosby and Malkin both scored. ... The Senators scratched C Marc Methot. ... Pittsburgh scratched forward Tom Kuhnhackl, C Jake Guentzel and D Steve Olesky. ... Fleurys early exit marked the third time in 17 starts he failed to complete the game. He was pulled early only once in 58 starts last season.UP NEXTSenators: Travel to San Jose on Wednesday, the start of a three-game set in California that includes visits to Anaheim and Los Angeles.Penguins: Begin a two-game road swing through Florida on Thursday when they face the Panthers. Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap NFL T-shirts Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys White Cheap NFL Jerseys Camo Wholesale Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Outlet Cheap Jerseys Wholesale China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Hoodies Camo China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Camo NFL Jerseys China ' ' '