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TORONTO — Michael Bunting scored twice as the Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-1 on Saturday night in the Toronto debuts for Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari.

The forwards were acquired from the St. Louis Blues in a blockbuster three-team trade late Friday — and were in the action just over 20 hours later.

“In terms of the two guys, they come as advertised in terms of their personality, character, and the way they fit in,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said after the win. “They are two veteran players who are very experienced and accomplished guys that can fit right in right away. The new guys fit in really well.

“That was great to see for sure. It is going to really, really help us. It is tremendous.”

O’Reilly, who helped the Blues to their first Stanley Cup title in 2019 and brings title pedigree to a team desperate to advance past the first round, received the start in his first game on his new home ice.

“For me, I am doing it for the player, but I am also doing it for our fans. I am sure they are excited for us to add a guy like him. They get a chance to acknowledge him and see him out of the gate,” Keefe said. “Like anything else, you give him a good moment. It is not just him. Even in the room, you get a good reaction from the rest of the team. They are excited for him.

“That was great. It was a tremendous shift, too. It was all good.”

And for O’Reilly, it is something he soon won’t forget.

“That start. Starting here was special. You feel the energy in this building,” he said. “There’s a reason it’s the Mecca of hockey. The energy that surrounds it. … It’s something you don’t get many other places.”

Pierre Engvall, William Nylander and David Kampf scored for Toronto. Joseph Woll made 29 saves. Auston Matthews and Rasmus Sandin each picked up two assists.

Josh Anderson scored 42 seconds into the second period for Montreal, which got 37 stops from Jake Allen.

Down 1-0 in the second period, Bunting took a pass from Matthews on a power play and scored his 17th before Engvall made it 2-1 when he fired a shot Allen could only get a piece of for his 12th.

Bunting added his second of the night with 1:40 left in the period off a Calle Jarnkrok feed that saw O’Reilly pick up an assist.

Nylander stretched the lead to 4-1 four minutes into the third with his team-leading 31st goal following some great work down low from Matthews.

Kampf rounded out the scoring late with his fifth of the season, and first in 28 games.

Dealt to the Leafs along with Acciari for four draft picks — including Toronto’s 2023 first-round selection — in a swap that included Minnesota for salary cap purposes, O’Reilly, who won the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP with St. Louis in 2019, started on a line between John Tavares and Mitchell Marner.

O’Reilly joins defenseman Mark Giordano as a former NHL captain in Toronto’s locker room alongside Tavares. Giordano was a longtime captain of the Calgary Flames.

“I don’t think you can ever have enough,” Tavares said of leadership. “Being the captain doesn’t mean you have all the answers. You need different people to lead in different ways.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Army to allow alcohol sales at football games

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Army to allow alcohol sales at football games

WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army will begin selling alcoholic beverages at football games at Michie Stadium beginning with its game Friday against Tarleton State, athletic director Tom Theodorakis announced Wednesday.

Army was the last service academy to not sell alcohol at football games. Air Force began sales in 2017 and Navy in 2021.

“The opportunity to purchase alcohol has become common practice at college athletic venues across the country, and we’re pleased to introduce it here at West Point as part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the gameday experience,” Theodorakis said, adding that Army is committed to ensuring a safe and family-friendly environment for fans.

Fans will be able to purchase beer and ready-to-drink cocktails with a limit of two drinks per transaction. A portion of the revenue from alcohol sales will help support Army’s other 29 sports.

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Harvard-Yale rivalry to return to Fenway in 2026

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Harvard-Yale rivalry to return to Fenway in 2026

BOSTON — Harvard and Yale will play The Game at Fenway Park next season, the second time the rivalry has moved to the historic home of the Boston Red Sox.

The Nov. 21, 2026, game will be the 142nd meeting between the Ivy League schools — the third most-played rivalry in college football. Yale leads the series 71-61-8, including the last three years.

Harvard won the 2018 game 45-27 at Fenway, the first time The Game was played off campus since an 1894 meeting that was so violent the Harvard faculty voted to disband the football program.

Fenway has hosted football since its opening year in 1912, and it served as the home of the AFL’s Boston Patriots from 1963-68. More recently, the ballpark has hosted some Boston College and high school football games and the Fenway Bowl.

Fenway also has hosted concerts, Shakespeare in the Park, big air skiing, Irish hurling and pickleball.

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Sources: Tide DL Keenan (ankle) out for opener

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Sources: Tide DL Keenan (ankle) out for opener

Alabama will be without team captain and starting defensive tackle Tim Keenan III for Saturday’s opener against Florida State after he suffered a high ankle sprain Tuesday in practice, sources told ESPN.

Keenan was scheduled to undergo a tightrope surgical procedure Wednesday and is expected to miss multiple games, but sources said Alabama expects him back at some point this season. The Crimson Tide face UL Monroe in Week 2, Wisconsin in Week 3 and then have a bye week before traveling to Georgia for the SEC opener on Sept. 27.

Coach Kalen DeBoer said earlier Wednesday on the SEC coaches teleconference that Keenan was still being evaluated after suffering a lower-body injury and would “probably not” be full go for the game.

Keenan, a fifth-year senior, is one of the anchors of an Alabama defensive line that should be one of the strengths of the team. He’s a two-year starter and one of the strongest leaders on the team. Redshirt freshman Jeremiah Beaman and true freshman London Simmons are next in line to step in for Keenan, who was second on the team a year ago with 7.5 tackles for loss.

Offensive lineman Jaeden Roberts‘ status for Saturday’s opener remains uncertain, according to DeBoer. The fifth-year senior, who has started 21 games over the past two seasons, has been “very limited” in recent practices as he works his way through the NCAA concussion protocol.

The Crimson Tide were already going to be without starting running back Jam Miller, who dislocated his collarbone in a scrimmage and will miss multiple games. DeBoer told ESPN last week he expected Miller to be back for the Georgia game.

On3.com was the first to report the news of Keenan’s surgery and the expectation he would miss multiple games.

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