CORTINA DAMPEZZO, Italy -- Defending overall World Cup champion Tina Maze finally got her first victory of the season, winning the prestigious Cortina downhill Saturday to signal a return to form just in time for the Sochi Olympics. Andrei Vasilevskiy Jersey . The Slovenian clocked 1 minute, 37.79 seconds down the Olympia delle Tofane course, which was bathed in sunshine, then performed her trademark handstand celebration during the podium proceedings. "There were a lot of emotions," Maze said. "It was a really long time. ... When I find the right feeling like I found it today I can ski fast." Marianne Kaufmann-Abderhalden of Switzerland finished second, 0.27 seconds behind, and Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein was third, 0.38 back. Maze had a record-breaking season a year ago with 11 wins. This season, she had only three podium results -- until this race. "When you win a lot you dont learn much," Maze said. "With my ups and downs its a lot of learning." Two weeks ago, Maze made a staff change in her personal team, which is run by her boyfriend and coach Andrea Massi. They replaced Walter Ronconi with former Switzerland coach Mauro Pini. The switch seems to have paid off and the timing couldnt have been better -- in the final downhill before the Sochi Games, where the womens downhill is scheduled for Feb. 12. Pini urged Maze to put more emotion into her skiing. "That was really good because Andrea was always saying to ski without feelings," Maze said. "But sometimes thats not possible. "(Pini) brought a lot of peace to our team because compared to Andrea and I hes one step in front of us," Maze added. "And thats what we were expecting from someone in that position. He came really motivated and that makes us easygoing and we have more energy for ourselves." Pini was formerly Lara Guts personal coach and he led the Swiss mens squad at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, when Didier Defago won gold in downhill. He then coached the Swiss womens team and more recently was a TV commentator. "I could sense a good feeling from the first words we shared with each other," Pini said. "Tina never forgot how to ski. She was always capable, she just needed to focus her energy better and get rid of those negative vibes." "At this level a couple different words here or there can create all the difference," Pini added. "Its not like we had to start over from scratch." With the skies perfectly clear to show off the jagged peaks that provide some of the most spectacular scenery in the Dolomite Range, Maria Hoefl-Riesch finished fourth to follow up her victory in Fridays downhill. The German said she felt some pain in her left knee after landing a jump awkwardly a day earlier. Still, Hoefl-Riesch maintained her lead in the overall and downhill standings. In another strong showing from the U.S. Ski Team without injured Lindsey Vonn, Stacey Cook matched her fifth-place finish from Friday and teammate Julia Mancuso placed seventh to match her best result of the season from a super-G two days earlier. "It always stings when you are so close to the podium, but I know this is a positive move heading toward Sochi," Cook said. This was the third of four races in four days. Elisabeth Goergl won a super-G on Thursday and another super-G is scheduled for Sunday. Weirather finished fourth and second in the opening two races this week. "Its hard to have four good races in a row but I will try," she said. Two of the races were originally scheduled for last weekend in Cortina but were wiped out by heavy snowfall. The other two were moved from Garmisch-Partenkirchen due to a lack of snow in the German resort. The womens circuit then moves to Kranjska Gora for a giant slalom and slalom next weekend -- the final races before Sochi and Mazes home event. "Im really excited to ski that slope," Maze said Alex Killorn Lightning Jersey ... as usual. Even with the salary cap being set lower than many general managers expected and hoped for at $69 million and whats considered a shallow pool of top-end players available, this unrestricted-free-agent period figures to follow the familiar script of teams bidding up prices to keep up with each other. Alex Killorn Jersey . Mars announced Saturday that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will join him as part of his halftime show. Super Bowl halftime performers often have collaborators. http://www.lightninghockeystore.us/Victor-Hedman-Jersey/ . Behind the talents of rookie Johnny Gaudreau, the Flames will look to keep pace Thursday night when they face the Minnesota Wild in the second of a six-game homestand.ST. LOUIS - Vladimir Sobotka needed just a couple shifts to return to top form Thursday night. Back after missed the previous 12 games because of a left knee injury, Sobotka had a goal and two assists to help the NHL-leading St. Louis Blues beat the Edmonton Oilers 6-2 on Thursday night. "I just kept it simple," Sobotka said after the fifth three-point game of his career. "It was about timing. As the game went along, I got a little faster and a little stronger." St. Louis has won six of seven overall and eight of nine against Edmonton. Alex Pietrangelo started a four-goal third period and Jaden Schwartz added two goals for the Blues, who outscored Edmonton 17-4 in sweeping the three-game season series. Pietrangelo, Schwartz and T.J. Oshie scored in 7:14 span at the outset of the third period to break a 2-2 tie, and Schwartz added his second goal of the period at 12:56. Ryan Miller made 23 saves to improve to 5-0-1 since joining the Blues in a trade with Buffalo on Feb. 28. Hes 7-0 against Edmonton. Sobotka scored late in the first period and then set up the winning goal 42 seconds into the third period. He stole the puck from Andrew Ference in the corner and found Pietrangelo wide open in the slot for a 3-2 lead. "We knew he was going to bring some energy and some bite back into our lineup," Pietrangelo said. "Whether he felt his best or not, it certainly looked like he didnt miss a beat. We kind of needed a little extra jump and he seems to have brought it." Pietrangelo felt he had to capitalize on Sobotkas hard work in the corner "It was a great pass, Id better bury it," Pietrangelo said. Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for St. Louis, and Oshie added two assists. Cedric Paquette Lightning Jersey. . Miller has stopped 134 of 145 shots in six games with St. Louis and has yet to lose in regulation. He has a 1.82 goals-against-average and .924 save percentage with the Blues. David Perron and Mark Fraser scored for Edmonton. Perron spent six seasons in St. Louis and leads the Oilers with 25 goals. Edmonton tied it at 2 late in the second period on Frasers shot from close range. The Blues then took over with a near-perfect third period. "We played with tempo and we played with speed in the neutral zone," St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We were really effective. We put a lot of pressure on people." St. Louis outshot Edmonton 14-11 over the final 20 minutes, peppering goalie Ben Scrivens from start to finish. "They capitalized on their scoring chances," Scrivens said. "But I needed to make more saves than I did." The Oilers appeared to have gained the momentum with Frasers tying goal. "I dont care how good they are, we were able to play with them for two periods," Edmonton coach Dallas Eakins said. "We certainly should be able to do it for another 20 more minutes." Notes: St. Louis D Barret Jackman left the game briefly late in the second period after colliding with Jesse Joensuu. Jackman returned for the third period. ...The Oilers have used six goalies this season. ... Ten of the Blues last 13 games have been decided by one goal. ... Edmonton C Sam Gagner had a five-game points streak snapped. ... The Oilers are 7-2-3 in their last 12 games, their best stretch since going 8-3 at the start of the 2011-12 season. ... Oshies two assists give him a career-high 36 this season. ' ' '