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Glenn Howard is one of three contenders with 3-0 records. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

Kevin Martin, Glenn Howard and Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud are tied atop the leaderboard with perfect 3-0 records Thursday after Draw 5 of the BDO Classic Canadian Open — the men’s third Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event being held in Winnipeg.

Edmonton’s Martin, Canada’s 2010 Olympic representative, continued his strong play, defeating previously unbeaten Jean-Michel Menard (2-1) of Quebec City, Que., 10-4 in for his third consecutive victory.

After giving up a steal of one point in the first end, Martin jumped ahead in the following frame, executing an open draw for three points.

Tied at 3-3 in the fourth end, Martin was given a golden opportunity to reclaim the lead after Menard’s double takeout attempt sailed through the house. The miscue gave Martin an simple open draw for five points and an insurmountable 8-3 advantage.

“We’re starting to get a small bit back to normal again,” said Martin. “It just takes some time, that’s the bottom line.

“We’re certainly not on our A-game by any means, but we’re playing pretty excellent. So I reckon we’re pretty pleased with where we are right now.”

Earlier in the day, Martin scored two points in the final end to defeat Toronto’s Wayne Middaugh 7-5.

Howard, of Coldwater, Ont., posted wins against two Winnipeg-based teams, downing Mike McEwen 9-3 in the afternoon and sliding past Jeff Stoughton 8-2 in the evening’s final draw.

Leading Stoughton 4-2 through four ends, the defending champion place the game away in the fifth frame with an open hit for three points.

“We had a couple surprising, I guess you could call them blowouts, today against McEwen and Stoughton,” said Howard. “We haven’t been stellar this week, but I don’t reckon anyone has been really fantastic. We’re on the right track.”

Ulsrud, Norway’s 2010 Olympic representative, went to 3-0 after squeezing by Randy Ferbey 6-4 to go along with an 8-4 choice over Edmonton’s Mark Johnson, subbing for Ted Appleman, and a 6-3 win over Jason Gunnlaugson of Beausejour, Man.

“The field out here is stronger than the Olympic field,” said Ulsrud following his victory over Johnson. “So if you win here, you’re certainly a excellent player.”

Pat Simmons of Davidson, Sask., is also undefeated at the event with a record of 2-0.

Simmons picked up a pair of wins Thursday with identical 6-3 victories over John Shuster, the United States’ 2010 Olympic representative, and McEwen.

A careless penalty helped cost the Toronto Maple Leafs another road game.

Martin St. Louis scored a power-play goal with 9.8 seconds left in overtime to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 comeback victory over Toronto on Thursday night.

After the Maple Leafs received a penalty for too many men on the ice with 43.1 seconds left, St. Louis scored the winner from the top of the left circle.

“We should have been more disciplined,” Toronto coach Ron Wilson said. “We weren’t — and we lose because of it.”

Ian White and Matt Stajan scored for Toronto, which is 2-11 in its last 13 road games.

Tampa Bay also got goals from Steven Stamkos and Ryan Malone. Stamkos added two assists.

“We responded,” said Tampa Bay coach Rick Tocchet, whose team was coming off an 8-2 loss Tuesday to the New York Rangers.

“Marty, a fantastic goal for us. Confidence wise for our team, we certainly needed it.”

‘We can’t take penalties’

After Stajan scored from the right circle during a power play to give Toronto a 2-1 advantage at 9:08 of the third, Malone pulled the Lightning even at 2-2 with a rebound power-play goal with 3:49 to play.

“It’s a tough break and a tough way to lose,” Stajan said. “We worked hard to get a lead and we just can’t make mental mistakes. We can’t take penalties.”

The Maple Leafs are 1-10 this season in games chose in overtime or a shootout. They are 0-8 when the game ends during OT.

“It’s ridiculous, really,” White said. “It’s just one after the other.” White place the Maple Leafs up 1-0 with a power-play goal at 7:05 of the second. Phil Kessel extended his point streak to seven games (seven assists, eight points) with an help on the goal.

Tampa Bay tied it at 1-1 when Stamkos scored his 26th goal this season with 8:14 left in the second. Vincent Lecavalier set up the goal — his first of three assists in the game — and has seven assists and 10 points during a six-game point streak.

The Lightning failed to score on a two-minute, two-man advantage late in the first and finished 2 of 7 on power plays.

Toronto entered with the NHL’s worst penalty-killing unit.

“I guess we redeemed ourselves,” Lecavalier said. “It could have gone either way. We capitalized on our [late] opportunities.”

The Maple Leafs were successful on 2 of 6 power plays.

Toronto defenceman Carl Gunnarsson picked up his fifth help this season on White’s goal. He has four assists in two games against Tampa Bay.

White finished an 11-game goal-scoring drought.

Peter Regin is enjoying his recent offensive outburst fully because it coincides with the Ottawa Senators’ longest winning streak of the season.

Regin picked up his third power-play point of the game with an help on Chris Phillips’ goal midway through the third and the Senators extended their streak to five wins in a row with a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.

Regin, who opened the scoring in the first, got his second help of the game as Phillips place a wrist shot from the slot past Chris Mason 10:29 into the third for Ottawa’s third power-play goal of the game.

“Oh, it’s nice,” Regin said. “Everybody wants to score, obviously, especially when you help the team win. It’s way more fun when you’re winning five games in a row rather than losing five in a row.”

Brian Elliott stopped 27 shots to win his third straight start and Milan Michalek also scored on the power play in his return after missing seven games because of a concussion.

The Senators had lost five in a row prior to their winning streak.

“We were on the other end of a terrible streak there, so it’s nice to turn it around and to turn it around with consistency,” Phillips said. “We have the right consistency right now and we just want to keep that going.”

Brad Boyes scored 30 seconds into the third to draw St. Louis even at 2-2 after Eric Brewer scored the Blues’ first goal late in the second.

Mason made 27 saves for St. Louis, which had won five of six.

“It’s certainly frustrating,” Mason said. “As a team, I don’t reckon we played well in the first two periods. Penalty kills is usually one of our strong suits and, to give up three goals, you can’t do that and expect to win.”

Patrik Berglund, who did not dress for Wednesday night’s 4-3 overtime win in Montreal, was back in the Blues’ lineup as David Backes was sidelined by an upper-body injury.

St. Louis is 5-4-1 under coach Davis Payne, who took over behind the bench after Andy Murray was fired on Jan. 2.

“They got three power-play goals and, obviously, to be successful you have to get the job done on special teams,” Blues forward Keith Tkachuk said.

Ottawa built a 2-0 lead midway through the second with a pair of power-play goals.

Regin, who has five points in his last two games, scored his second goal in as many games 16:09 in and helped on Michalek’s 17th goal 10:59 into the second.

Alex Kovalev, who played his 1,200th NHL game, set up both power-play tallies.

Regin, who had a goal and an help in Tuesday night’s 4-1 win over Chicago, got credit for his eighth goal late in the first when Kovalev’s pass went in off the Danish centre’s right skate.

David Perron scored an apparent tying goal for the Blues as time expired in the first. Referee Brad Watson pointed to the net to signal a goal although the green light signaling the end of the period prevented the goal judge from lighting the red light behind the net. A video review showed that time had expired before the puck crossed the goal-line.

“I knew it was going to be like 50-50,” Perron said. “I heard the referee and he told me I was, like, in the crease with point-one [seconds] to go or something. It’s kind of unlucky.”

Michalek, who scored 9 seconds after Jay McClement was sent off for high sticking, returned to the Senators’ lineup after missing seven games while recovering from a concussion. He suffered the injury in a 5-2 loss in Washington on Jan.

Brewer re-directed Perron’s shot from the right side into the net from the edge of the crease at 18:53 to draw St. Louis to 2-1.