TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. The top-ranked Crimson Tide flashed its overwhelming punching power to knockout No. 10 LSU in Saturday nights 38-17 victory Saturday, scoring the final 21 points in punishing fashion. AJ McCarron threw three touchdown passes, T.J. Yeldon ran for 133 yards and two scores and the Tide (9-0, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) turned to smash-you-in-the-mouth football to take control of a game that was tied early in the third quarter. Yeldon carried 18 times in the second half, 25 overall. And down went LSU (7-3, 3-3). "I think we probably played our best half of football," Tide coach Nick Saban said. "We didnt play great in the first half, but man I tell you what, a lot of character out there in the second half." Yeldon and McCarron had hooked up for the game-winning touchdown pass in the final minute of last seasons meeting with the Tigers. This one had no such dramatic finish. Two-time defending national champion Alabama brushed aside its first challenge since Game 2 against Texas A&M. It was a dominant performance two days after one contender, No. 2 Oregon, fell to another, No. 6 Stanford. McCarron was a workmanlike 14-of-20 passing for 179 yards, letting Yeldon, Kenyan Drake and their blockers assert control. He did hit speedy freshman tight end O.J. Howard for a 52-yard touchdown and overtook John Parker Wilson to become Alabamas top career passer. "All he does is win and does what his team needs for him to do," Saban said of his senior quarterback. "I think the guy is the best quarterback in the country." He didnt need to put up big numbers to improve his career mark to 34-2. LSUs Zach Mettenberger completed 16 of 23 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown but was also sacked four times. It was the most points Alabama has scored against LSU since a 41-12 victory in 1947. LSU had won five of the last six meetings in Tuscaloosa, but lost fumbles on its first two possessions, including one on the goal line. The Tigers, who came in averaging 40.2 points, couldnt regain the lost momentum and managed just 52 yards in the second half and minus-9 in the final quarter. "You cant turn the ball over," LSU coach Les Miles said. "In the first half its a 7-to-nothing game and the fullback (J.C. Copeland) runs the ball off left tackle. Then we turn the ball over on the other side of the field. That cost us a terrible start. "We overcame it but it took time." Alabama has been so dominant lately, some students began chanting "We Want Bama" in the fourth quarter, mimicking the fans of potential challengers to the reigning champs. This one, at least, was a contest until Alabama scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Yeldon powered the Tide to a two-touchdown lead with a workhorse drive in the fourth quarter. He ran six times for 34 yards and had a 13-yard catch before powering it in with 10:31 left to give Alabama a 31-17 lead. "They came in here thinking that they were going to be more physical than us," Tide defensive lineman Jeoffrey Pagan said. "I feel like we changed that." LSU swiftly threatened to get back in the game when Odell Beckham Jr. raced 82 yards on the kickoff return. Alabama held firm and Mettenbergers fourth-and-13 pass to a well-covered Jarvis Landry was off target. And the Tide fans at Bryant-Denny Stadium could finally breathe. Alabamas Drake ran for 65 yards on 10 carries. The Tide outgained LSU 372-282, including a 193-43 advantage on the ground in a game both sides typically call one of the most physical of each season. LSUs playmaking receivers Beckham and Landry turned in some big ones but it wasnt nearly enough. Landry had five catches for 90 yards and Beckham gained 42 yards on three catches. Alabama limited Jeremy Hill, who came in as the SECs No. 2 rusher, to 13 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown. "You could look at the score and think one thing," Mettenberger said. "But if you watched the game you would know that if we didnt turn the ball over and made some smarter decisions in the third and fourth quarters, it would be a ball game." LSU tied the game at 17 with Colby Delahoussayes 41-yard field goal to cap the opening drive of the second half. Then Alabama turned to a fake punt in its own territory. Alabamas Jarrick Williams took a handoff from linebacker C.J. Mosley and ran for a first down on fourth and 2 in Tide territory after calling time out. The buck-the-odds gamble that is more Les Miles calling card than Sabans paid off. Yeldon capped a 14-play drive consuming seven minutes, 50 seconds with a 4-yard touchdown for a 24-17 lead. "We said if they put their defence back in there, we were going to run it," Saban said. 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The Maple Leafs will play on the road for the first time this season after dropping home contests to Montreal and Pittsburgh to begin the campaign. After losing a one-goal decision to the Canadiens on Wednesday, they were bested 5-2 on Saturday by the Penguins.The Montreal Canadiens will try to take a commanding lead in their Eastern Conference first round series when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 on Friday night. The Canadiens won the opening tilt of the best-of-seven series on Wednesday, claiming a 5-4 victory on Dale Weises overtime tally. Its not surprising the game went beyond regulation considering the Atlantic Division foes saw three of their five regular-season meetings in 2013-14 enter OT. After dropping a wild one in the opener, the Lightning hope to even this set before it shifts to Montreal for Games 3 and 4. The third meeting is set for Sunday at the Bell Centre with Game 4 scheduled for Tuesday. Weise tallied with 1:52 remaining in overtime to give his club a leg up on Tampa in the series. An in-season trade acquisition for Montreal, Weise scored off a pretty backhand feed from linemate Daniel Briere to end the entertaining contest. The wrister from just below the right circle beat a hapless Anders Lindback on his stick side after Briere successfully held off Tampa Bay defenseman Eric Brewer behind the net to deliver a perfect pass. The goal marked the first postseason point for Weise, who was held off the scoresheet in each of his previous six playoff games with the Vancouver Canucks. Briere, meanwhile, notched his 110th career playoff point in his 109th game with the assist. "Its not an easy thing, the roller coaster of emotion youre going to feel in playoff games," Briere said. "Thats part of the experience factor, knowing to stay composed and stay focused" Brian Gionta and Lars Eller picked up a goal and assist each for the Canadiens, while Tomas Plekanec and Thomas Vanek also lit the lamp for the third-place team in the Atlantic Division. Carey Price earned the Game 1 victory despite stopping just 21-of-25 shots. "Its nice to come in and get one here but its still a long series and they have a great team," said Gionta.dddddddddddd "It was back-and-forth and itll be no different the next game." Lightning star Steven Stamkos scored twice, including the game-tying goal with just over 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn also produced goals in the setback. Subbing for the injured Ben Bishop, Lindbacks first career NHL playoff start went well despite the loss, as the rangy Swede came up with 39 saves. "We didnt get the win so its tough to find positives," said Stamkos. "Five goals against is way too many in the playoffs. Hopefully now everyone has a taste of playoff hockey, they know what its all about." Lindback will be back in net on Friday for his second career playoff start. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said he is hopeful Bishop could return in this series, but can only see that happening if it extends past four games. Tampa could be without Ondrej Palat, who left Game 1 in the third period with an upper-body injury and did not return. Palat has 23 goals and 36 assists in 81 games as a rookie this season and is one of the leading candidate for the Calder Trophy. On Thursday, Cooper said Palat will be a game-time decision for tonight. This is the second time the Canadiens and Lightning are meeting in the postseason, with the Tampa sweeping Montreal in four games in the Eastern Conference semifinals during its 2004 Stanley Cup championship season. Projected Canadiens Lines Pacioretty - Desharnais - VanekPrust - Plekanec - GallagherBourque - Eller - GiontaBournival - Brière - Weise Markov - EmelinGorges - SubbanBouillon - Weaver PriceBudaj Projected Lightning Lines Killorn - Stamkos - JohnsonPanik - Filppula - CallahanBrown - Thompson - PurcellPyatt - Paquette - Kucherov Hedman - SaloCarle - GudasBrewer - Kostka LindbackGudlevskis ' ' '