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Lighting strikes the Canadiens

Cory Stillman, left, of the Lightning, celebrates his team's first goal with teammates Brad Lukowich, center, Pavel Kubina, right, and Tim Taylor, foreground, during the second period in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal in Montreal, Tuesday. PHOTO: REUTERS

Brad Richards scored his second goal of the game 1:05 into overtime, giving the Tampa Bay Lightning a 4-3 victory Tuesday night over the Montreal Canadiens and a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven playoff series.

"It's a scenario that you lie in bed and dream about when you're a kid," Richards said. "It's unbelievable. An overtime goal in the playoffs is great anywhere, but to do it in Montreal, it's just so much fun."

With one more victory, the Lightning will reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in their 12-year NHL history. That could come as early as today with Game 4 in Montreal.

Vincent Lecavalier scored his fifth goal of the series with 16.5 seconds remaining in regulation to get the Lightning into overtime.

Montreal rookie Michael Ryder scored his first goal of the playoffs midway through the third, and Patrice Brisebois put the Canadiens up 3-2 when he scored off a faceoff at 16:13.

"When you win, you don't need to say `if', and you don't have to go through the plays over and over again," Canadiens captain Saku Koivu said.

Cory Stillman gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead with a short-handed goal in the second period, but Alex Kovalev tied it 52 seconds later during the same Montreal power play.

Flames 3, Red Wings 2

In Calgary, Alberta, Jarome Iginla scored a power-play goal and Martin Gelinas had two assists, leading Calgary over Detroit in Game 3 of the second-round playoff series.

The Flames lead the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series 2-1. Calgary, which won the series opener in Detroit, will host Game 4 Thursday.

Stephane Yelle and Shean Donovan also scored for the Flames.

Robert Lang and Jiri Fischer scored for the Red Wings.

Detroit outshot Calgary 12-5 in the third period but couldn't get the tying goal past goalie Miikka Kiprusoff.

The Red Wings played without veteran defenseman Chris Chelios, who was injured Saturday.

The Flames escaped from a wild, five-goal second period with a 3-2 lead.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and players' union head Bob Goodenow will meet in Toronto on Thursday in an effort to spur stalled labor talks.

The meeting will take place at a yet to be determined location and could extend through Friday, NHL Players' Association spokesman Jonathan Weatherdon said Tuesday. The NHL confirmed the scheduled meeting, saying it would release more information later in the week.

The NHL and NHLPA have offices in Toronto.

On Wednesday, Bettman and Goodenow are expected to attend a second-round playoff game in Toronto between the Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers.

The league's current collective bargaining agreement expires Sept. 15, and negotiations are expected to be stormy and could potentially disrupt next season.

Thursday's meeting will mark the first formal negotiations since players and owners last met in Toronto on Oct. 1. Little appeared to come out of that meeting, which lasted only a few hours.

The two sides have spent the last few months making their respective arguments through the media.

Citing about US$273 million in losses during the 2002-2003 season, owners are seeking to reign in player salaries.

The players have questioned how the league accounts for its revenues, and refer to the owners' proposal as a "salary cap," something they call unacceptable.

Last weekend, The Sports Network, a Canadian cable TV broadcaster, cited sources in reporting that the two sides are "on the same page" in negotiating to reduce the NHL schedule to 72 games, down from the current 82.

The NHL and players' association declined comment on specific topics that are being discussed.
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