After being traded from the Saskatchewan Roughriders to the Montreal Alouettes in the off-season, Darian Durant would want to come out firing on all cylinders when the two teams met. Thursday night, they kicked off the 2017 CFL season, and the Alouettes, lead by Durant, came away with a 17-16 victory.

The Alouettes scored first in the game late in the second quarter, when Durant hit receiver B.J. Cunningham for a 65-yard major. Saskatchewan answered back right away, though. Kevin Glenn, in his third stint with the Riders, capped a 10-play drive with a 19-yard TD pass to Bakari Grant. The play was reviewed, and while many thought Grant was stripped of the ball before crossing the line based on the replay, the call on the field stood.

The Riders would then take the lead heading into halftime after Tyler Crapigna hit a 35-yard field goal. It became a 13-7 game when Crapigna put a 40-yard boot through the uprights in the 3rd quarter.

The Alouettes would reply, though. Durant hit Ernest Jackson with a 12-yard strike for the touchdown before the third ended, putting Montreal up 14-13.

Halfway through the final quarter, Saskatchewan took the lead again, as Crapigna hit an 18-yarder, only to have the Alouettes kick a field goal of their own to take a 17-16 lead.

The Riders would get the ball back with just under two and a half minutes on the clock. The drive, which included three successful third down gambles, petered out at the Montreal 38, setting up Crapigna for a 45-yarder for the win. The kick, though, went wide right, giving the Alouettes the victory.

The Riders will now have just over a week to prepare. They host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at the New Mosaic Stadium in Regina on Canada Day for their home opener.