MONTREAL -- The Montreal Impacts faltering offence could be getting a big boost this weekend. After a month watching from the sidelines, star striker Marco Di Vaio will likely dress for Montreal when the last-place Impact (1-5-4) face the Colorado Rapids (4-4-3) in Denver on Saturday. "I think Im ready to go," said Di Vaio on Wednesday before the team left for the American southwest. "I trained yesterday, alone at first and then with the team. And today I took part in the whole session. I feel good after the injury. I can go." The star striker injured his hamstring on April 19 in a 4-0 road defeat to Sporting Kansas City, leaving the game in the 56th minute. He then played in most of Montreals victory over the Philadelphia Union the following week, but has since missed the clubs last four games. "Obviously, if Marco comes back, it will help," assistant coach Mauro Biello told reporters on Wednesday. "We have a good record when hes in the lineup. Were just waiting for him to be at 100 per cent." Despite only scoring once in five appearances this season, Di Vaios return could spark a struggling club looking to build on back-to-back respectable results. Montreal played to a 1-1 draw against second-place D.C. United last Saturday three days after a midweek victory over NASL side FC Edmonton in the Amway Canadian Championship. "The confidence is growing," Impact defender Jeb Brovsky told the teams website. "As a team, the chemistry is going up. This team is going in the right direction. It takes only two or three games to really change things around in a season. We have a tough road game. Its time to see what were made of." With seven points from 10 games, the MLS-worst Impact are looking to climb from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The team has only scored three goals in its last five MLS games. Two of those were courtesy of striker Jack McInerney, who has now scored five times in all competitions since joining the Impact in April. And while the combination of McInerney and Di Vaio up front in a two-striker formation has yet to click for Montreal, the team is hoping the two connect for goals on Saturday. "Were happy that Jack is scoring goals, and that Marco is coming back," said Biello. "We have to keep working on that chemistry up front. With players like that, we can give a lot of trouble to our opponents." Montreal will hope to trouble a Colorado side going through struggles of its own. The team has only scored four goals in its last six games, and is coming off consecutive losses for the first time this season. Last week, defender Drew Moor scored his first goal of the season late in the game, a consolation prize in a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake. While Di Vaio may be returning to the Impact lineup, the Rapids will still be without top-scorer Vicente Sanchez, who sprained his knee in a May 3 win. Sanchez has scored five goals this season -- four of those from the penalty spot. "(The Rapids) have a few injuries," said Biello. "But they have a lot of speed up front and a lot of quality in the midfield. Were expecting a team thats looking for a victory, especially at home. They lost their last home game. We have to be ready for a team that will push and pressure us." The Impact will also have to cope with high altitude. Denver is nicknamed the Mile-High City because, at one mile above sea level, it is one of the most elevated cities in the United States. For Montreal, it will mean a risk of dehydration and altitude sickness. "The altitude is definitely an issue," said Denver-born Brovsky. "We are a fit team, so that should help. But well have to make sure that we arent running around aimlessly." Excited to be going back to his home city, Brovsky promised to fill a section of Dicks Sporting Goods Park with Impact supporters. "I already made a lot of calls, and a lot of people are amped up," he said. "So hopefully we have a home atmosphere in Colorado. Hopefully theyll be pretty rowdy -- which I know my family are." Notes: Newcomer midfielder Issey Nakajima-Farran could make his Impact debut against the Rapids. The Canadian international was acquired by Montreal last week from Toronto FC. a The Impact have lost both their games against the Rapids since joining MLS. a Marc Burch (hamstring) and Nathan Sturgis (foot) are both doubtful for the Rapids. a The Impact and Rapids wont meet again this season. 14:34ET 23-05-14 https://www.newenglandfootballshop.com/83-Jersey .com) - Joique Bells touchdown run in the fourth quarter gave the Detroit Lions a 20-14 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. https://www.newenglandfootballshop.com/32-Jersey . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. https://www.newenglandfootballshop.com/39-Jersey. The stakes were higher, the competition more fierce and the atmosphere was that of a playoff game - something the young, upstart Raptors have five weeks to better prepare themselves for or the result will be eerily similar. https://www.newenglandfootballshop.com/7-Jersey . Then again, he really was at his home away from home. "It was nice to sleep in my own bed last night," Shields said after pitching Kansas City past the San Diego Padres 8-0 Wednesday. https://www.newenglandfootballshop.com/69-Jersey .com) - Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 12 points in the top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats 70-55 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide.BROSSARD, Que. - Brian Gionta knows what happened the last time the Montreal Canadiens opened a playoff series with a pair of wins on the road. It was in 2011, and the Boston Bruins stormed back to win on a Nathan Horton shot off a defencemans leg in Game 7 overtime. Before that was 2006, when the Canadiens took the opening two games in Carolina only to drop the next four, partly through losing star centre Saku Koivu to a series-ending eye injury from an accidental high stick by Justin Williams in Game 4. Both times, the team that came back to beat the Canadiens went on to win the Stanley Cup. After taking their opening two games of this years playoffs with wins of 5-4 and 4-1 over the Lightning in Tampa, Fla., Gionta doesnt want history to repeat itself. "Its huge, but at the end of the day, we fell into that trap against Boston a few years back," the Canadiens captain said Saturday. "We won two games in their building and we came back and let off the gas a bit. "So we need to make sure that our focus is on (Sunday) night and make sure we do what we did in the first two games." Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is set for Sunday night at the Bell Centre, where a wall of sound from the 21,273 spectators is expected to greet the Canadiens. They didnt skate after a late-night flight home from Tampa, but the message from the coach Michel Therrien and his staff was about taking care of business on home ice. "We all understand that the farther you get in the playoffs the more difficult the games are to play," said Therrien. "Were glad were back at home, but I like our focus. "We have a business mentality. Its about preparing ourselves for (the next game)." Therrien has much to be pleased about. His team has had the edge on the Lightning for all but the first period of Game 2 on Saturday night, when strong goaltending from Carey Price kept the game scoreless until Montreal took control in the second frame on a power-play goal from David Desharnais and Rene Bourques first of the game. Brendan Gallagher and Bourque added goals in the third before Teddy Purcell got one — on a power play plus the goalie pulled for an extra attacker — at 18:01. The Desharnais goal broke a nine-game drought for the Montreal power play. They have also been getting scoring from all four lines. EEight different forwards have scored goals, which takes some pressure off the top unit of Desharnais, Max Pacioretty and Thomas Vanek.dddddddddddd Desharnais got his first goal in 12 career post-season games, while Paciorettys assist on the same tally was his first point in six career playoff games. The line combined for 22 shots in two games, so it should produce more as the playoffs go on. The Canadiens also took advantage of the absence of Tampa Bays injured top goalie Ben Bishop by beating Anders Lindback eight times in two games and adding another against Kristers Gudlevskis — the Latvian who made 55 stops in a 2-1 loss to Canada at the Sochi Olympics. Gudlevskis let in one goal on three Montreal shots. And they held Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos to two goals, both in Game 1, and no assists, although the gifted sniper has nine shots on goal. So the Canadiens are in good position to win a playoff series for the first time since goalie Jaroslav Halaks heroics got them to the Eastern Conference final in 2010. But they know how far away that goal is. All-time, the Canadiens are 49-5 when leading a best-of-seven series 2-0, but have lost three of the last four times in that situation. "Theyre going to make adjustments," said Gionta. "Its the playoffs and youve got to try to read what theyre going to do, make adjustments on the fly, and see what happens. "I thought we did a fairly good job of that (Friday) night. We need to do it again." Giontas line with centre Lars Eller and left-winger Bourque has been particularly solid. Eller entered this years post-season with two assists in eight career games, but now leads the team with a goal and two assists. Bourque was a target for fans all through a sub-par regular season with nine goals in 63 games in which he was made a healthy scratch for the first time in his career. He sat out five straight games in March. He may get a warmer reception after two solid games in Tampa, including his first career playoff game with more than one goal. "Since hes back in our lineup, before the playoffs, Rene Bourque was playing the way we expect him to play," said Therrien. "We dont judge players only on goals and assists. "What I like is that hes engaged in the game. Hes physical. Hes going hard to the net and he got rewarded." ' ' '