SOELDEN, Austria -- Lara Gut got the defense of her overall World Cup title off to a shining start Saturday.The first womens champion from Switzerland in more than two decades, Gut dominated the season-opening giant slalom on a sun-soaked Rettenbach glacier.On an icy slope under crisp, blue skies, Gut held on to her first-run lead to clinch a comfortable win as she led Mikaela Shiffrin by 1.44 seconds for her 19th career victory. The American also finished second in Soelden last year after winning the race in 2014.Its a good start, Gut said. Soelden is always a special race. Its very steep. Its very difficult. You have to charge and not think too much. I had to fight against my head, as I had been thinking too much in the past 24 hours. I dont know why. Usually I just ski and enjoy what I am doing. I am the one who laughs.Gut said she thanked Austrias Marcel Hirscher, the mens overall champion, for giving her some useful advice.Marcel told me yesterday, You just have to ski. I knew I could be fast, but you still have to deliver, she said. Today wasnt my easiest day. It was a fight against myself. What I am going to take with me from today is that I was stronger than my head, I was stronger than that what I was thinking.Gut held a 1.42-second lead over Shiffrin after the first leg and was put under pressure by the Americans near-flawless second run. The Swiss champion lost two-tenths early in her run, but her victory never came under threat.The second run was a battle, Gut said.Shiffrin, who lost here to Italys Federica Brignone in 2015, said she could live with a runner-up finish for a second straight year.Its a big relief. I can be happy with it, but I also know I can be better, Shiffrin said. I really wanted to start off the season strong. Its always better to win, but Lara was very strong, just like Federica last year. Today she raised the level. I am not super far off, but I am still looking for that second GS win.Shiffrin praised her Swiss rival for holding herself together.She is like the queen of hammering the course and risking and really, really racing, Shiffrin said. I am getting close to it, but I have a lot of respect for her to be able to come through the first race of the season.Marta Bassino of Italy, the only other skier to finish within two seconds of Gut, earned her first top-three result. It was the 100th podium in giant slalom by an Italian woman. Only Austria, Switzerland and France have more top-three results.I just tried to ski like in training, Bassino said through an interpreter. This is an amazing result. It means a lot to me.Former world champion Tessa Worley of France placed sixth, 2.88 off the lead, while Eva-Maria Brem of Austria, who took the giant slalom title last season, was 5.14 seconds behind in 26th after two disappointing runs.Petra Vlhova of Slovakia started 55th but posted the fastest second-run time to finish eighth.Several top contenders were sitting out the race. American standout Lindsey Vonn said she will focus more on the downhill and super-G this season. Two-time former overall champion Anna Veith of Austria and 2010 Olympic GS champion Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany were recovering from injuries.Organizers said the race was attended by 14,000 spectators, including the 77-year-old Heinrich Messner. The Austrian won the first World Cup race in 1967 -- a slalom in Berchtesgaden, Germany. He was invited to Soelden as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the World Cup.A mens giant slalom on the same course is scheduled for Sunday. Nike Roshe Discount . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Cheap Nike Roshe Shoes . Calgary scored on the first shift, and Michael Cammalleri scored twice as the Flames cruised to a 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday. http://www.cheapnikeroshe.net/ .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. Nike Roshe Sale Cheap . LOUIS -- Alexander Steen scored a power-play goal with 59. Cheap Nike Roshe Online . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. SEATTLE -- Behind Thomas Rawls bouncing off and through tacklers and a big-play punch from Tyler Lockett, the Seattle Seahawks rediscovered their offensive star power on Sunday night.It came at a significant cost to their defense.Rawls ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, Lockett took a reverse 75 yards for a score to open the second half and the Seahawks routed the Carolina Panthers 40-7 on Sunday night.The victory was clouded by the loss of standout safety Earl Thomas for the rest of the regular season at least to a broken tibia in the first half. While coach Pete Carroll did not have a timeline, he expected the injury to be six weeks at the minimum.Earls been a fixture here for a long time. Hes missed two games in his life playing football in the last couple of weeks. Were going to miss him enormously, Carroll said.Another prime-time game in Seattle was provided with odd story lines right from the outset when Carolina quarterback Cam Newton was benched for the first play, only to watch backup Derek Anderson throw an interception . It was the start of miserable night for Carolina (4-8) and a laugher that moved Seattle (8-3-1) one step closer to the NFC West title.I think there was a lack of communication on my part. I think I have to be accountable to know certain things, Newton said.Rawls and the run game set the tone for Seattle, gashing the second-best run defense in the NFL for 240 yards. Carolina entered the week giving up less than 80 yards per game on the ground.Rawls finished with 106 yards on 15 carries, quiet in the second half after briefly being checked for a concussion. He was just the second 100-yard rusher for the Seahawks, who have struggled on the ground this season. Rawls 8-yard run gave Seattle an early 10-0 lead and his 45-yard sprint early in the second quarter pushed it to 17-7.I have to let it come to me and then take it after I get past those big boys, Rawls said. The guys up front did a tremendous job. They were phenomenal.Russell Wilson was 26 of 36 for 277 yards and a 1-yard scoring pass to Jimmy Graham in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks rolled up a season-high 534 yards and kept a three-game lead over Arizona in the division with four games remaining.Thomas broke the bone in a first-half collision with teammate Kam Chancellor while trying to intercept Newtons pass. Thomas hobbled off, putting no weight on the leg, and X-rays revealed the fracture.You cant really tell where people are. We were both trying to make a play, Chancellor said.dddddddddddd Its hard to see your brother go down like that.On the play after Thomas injury, Newton hit Ted Ginn Jr. on a 55-yard touchdown pass to pull the Panthers to 10-7. It would be the only highlight for Carolina.Rawls immediately answered, darting through the Carolina defense for a 45-yard touchdown run and a 17-7 lead. Steven Hauschka added two more field goals before halftime and Lockett raced 75 yards on a reverse on the first play of the second half. In less than 10 minutes of game time, Seattle extended the lead to 30-7.I think I finally got to hit that extra gear that Ive been waiting on, Lockett said.Newtons benching was for a dress code violation -- he did not have a necktie for the team flight -- and the single play he missed could not have gone worse. Anderson rolled out to throw a pass to Mike Tolbert. It bounced off Tolberts hands and into the arms of Mike Morgan, a disastrous result for that only added to questions about coach Ron Riveras intention with the punishment.Newton finished 14 of 32 for 182 yards.I treat him like I do all the other players on the team and he didnt start, Rivera said.LOPSIDED RESULTIt was seventh meeting in the past five years between the Seahawks and Panthers, playoffs included. It was the first time of the seven the game was decided by more than 14 points. Five of the previous six were decided by seven points or fewer. The biggest win during the stretch was Seattles 31-17 win in the 2014 playoffs.BATTERED PANTHERSCarolinas injury list grew again.The Panthers were already without starters Kurt Coleman and Luke Kuechly (concussions) and defensive end Mario Addison (foot) on defense, and right tackle Daryl Williams (ankle) on offense. Carolina then lost cornerback Daryl Worley and linebacker David Mayo to concussions against the Seahawks.THOMAS TWEETSOne of the most emotional players on Seattles roster, Thomas hinted at retirement in a tweet sent just before halftime.This game has been so good to me no regrets. A lot is running through my mind including retirement thanks for all the prayers, Thomas tweeted from the Seattle locker room.Thomas missed the first game of his career last week at Tampa Bay due to a hamstring injury.UP NEXTPanthers: Carolina returns home and hosts San Diego.Seahawks: Seattle travels to Green Bay.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '