Carrier's goal late in the 3rd period helps Canadiens beat Maple Leafs 3-2

TORONTO (AP) — Josh Anderson and Alexandre Carrier each had a goal and assist as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 Tuesday night in the teams' season opener.

Zachary Bolduc also scored for Montreal, which got 25 saves from Jakub Dobes.

William Nylander scored twice for Toronto. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 21 shots in his first game with the Maple Leafs.

No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna and Russian winger Kirill Marchenko also made their Toronto debuts – along with seven other teammates – following an off-season of change after the Original Six franchise missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade last spring.

The Canadiens, meanwhile, are coming off a campaign that saw them take a massive step following a long before falling to the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final.

Nylander opened the scoring just 48 seconds into the first period when he stepped around Montreal captain and reigning Selke Trophy winner Nick Suzuki at the blue line before ripping a high shot past Dobes. Nylander tied Zdenek Nedved (Oct. 7, 1995) for the fourth-fastest goal to start a season-opener in franchise history.

Anderson tied the score at 10:53 when he batted a rebound out of the air in front. Bolduc gave Montreal the lead, scoring from the slot at 4:52 of the second, and Carrier beat Bobrovsky on the glove side at 13:12 of the third.

Nylander cut the deficit to a goal with 4:14 left in regulation.

Canadiens: At the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

Maple Leafs: Host the New York Islanders on Wednesday.

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Toronto Maple Leafs' Jack Roslovic (96) gets tripped up by Montreal Canadiens' Mike Matheson (8) and Phillip Danault (24) during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Montreal Canadiens in Toronto, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Kirill Marchenko (86) tries a wraparound on Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Montreal Canadiens in Toronto, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal Canadiens' Alexandre Carrier (45) celebrates his goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs with Phillip Danault (24) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Montreal Canadiens in Toronto, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Easton Cowan (53) jumps out of the way of Montreal Canadiens' Alexandre Carrier (45) during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Montreal Canadiens in Toronto, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Six Flags Magic Mountain said Tuesday that it is retiring its famous X2 roller coaster amid lawsuits alleging serious brain injury caused by the ride.

The Southern California theme park said it is permanently shuttering the ride after nearly 20 years. Six Flags recently settled a wrongful-death lawsuit from the family of a 22-year-old man who died after riding the coaster in 2022, and three more lawsuits alleging traumatic brain injuries were filed last week.

“While X2 consistently passed a multitude of safety tests, we have decided to close the ride because we believe it’s the right thing to do,” park President Brian Oerding said in an online announcement. “Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously.”

The ride has been closed since the evening of July 12, after two women who rode the coaster less than a week apart both needed to be rushed to the hospital after they exited.

One of them, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, collapsed shortly after the ride ended and was found to have massive brain bleeding inside her skull that required emergency brain surgery. She remains in a vegetative state in the hospital, unable to speak or move and dependent on a ventilator. Her family filed a lawsuit against Six Flags on her behalf.

Her attorneys said more than 100 people have claimed they got brain injuries from the roller coaster in the past two years and that the closure of X2 would not keep them from continuing to file lawsuits.

“Closing the ride protects future guests, and we welcome that. But it does nothing for the people who have already been hurt,” attorney Gary Dordick said. “Six Flags must now take responsibility for them.”

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health opened an investigation into the ride after the July incidents and said it remains ongoing.

According to the Six Flags Magic Mountain website, the X2 roller coaster reaches a top speed of 76 mph (122 kph) and has a total length of 3,610 feet (1,100 meters). The seats rotate 360 degrees “so your body will be flipping around the entire time,” and the ride features two “raven turns” — half loops that turn into sheer drops midway.

It debuted at the park in 2002 under the name X as the world’s first “fourth-dimension” roller coaster and reopened in 2008 as X2 with new trains and special effects. The uniqueness of the ride drew thrill-seekers from around the world and garnered a fervent fanbase.

The park settled a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the family of Christopher Hawley, a 22-year-old who died the day after he rode X2. He was taken to the hospital after the ride with severe brain bleeding. The medical examiner’s office said his death was from blunt head trauma. The case was settled at the end of August, a few days before the trial was scheduled to start.

A Six Flags Magic Mountain sign is seen in Valencia, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

This aerial view shows the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

This aerial view shows the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)