CHAMPS RISE UP!

Team Canada getting hot at right time at Montana’s Brier

When the going gets tough, the tough get … well, let’s face it, sometimes they get desperate.

Skip Brad Gushue wasn’t willing to break the glass and call it an emergency when he lost two early games at the 2024 Montana’s Brier, presented by AGI, but he knew a win Wednesday morning was bordering on critical.

And it showed in the play of Gushue’s Team Canada (5-2, St. John’s) as the two-time defending champions took apart the young upstarts from Prince Edward Island (4-2, Crapaud), skipped by Tyler Smith, 11-3, in one of four Pool B games at the Brandt Centre.

The win lifted Team Canada, looking for its third consecutive Canadian men’s curling championship, into second place alone, and in good shape to grab one of three playoff spots available in the pool.

Team Canada is chasing only Team Saskatchewan (5-1, Saskatoon), skipped by Mike McEwen, in the standings. The green-clad local favourites continued their solid play with a 10-2 domination of skip Jamie Koe’s surprising Team Northwest Territories (4-2, Yellowknife) in another key matchup at the Brandt Centre.

The draw was highlighted by Team Nunavut (1-5, Iqaluit), skipped by Shane Latimer, scoring a popular first victory, defeating skip Matthew Manuel’s Team Nova Scotia (3-4, Halifax) 7-5. It was only Nunavut’s second victory at a Canadian men’s championship. The territory entered last year’s Montana’s Brier with an 0-38 all-time record since making debut in 2018, but skip Jake Higgs cracked that goose egg with a win in London, Ont.

“Huge win for Nunavut,” said Latimer. “Lots of pressure coming into week to match last year. We all played well, the guys stayed together, we kept it loose And it worked out.

“There were tears, (alternate) Peter (Van Strien) was jumping, it was pretty cool. Very sweet and it’s going to be addictive.”

In the Saskatchewan win, McEwen made a soft tapback for three in the fourth end to go up 4-1, but the clincher came in the seventh when Koe, trying a double for a possible deuce, fanned completely, costing him a steal of two to go down 8-2.

“Obviously that (seventh end) could have been a momentum swing,” said McEwen, a Manitoba transplant who is the only man to skip three different provinces at the Montana’s Brier. “I put it in a good enough spot where I don’t think he could have made it for three. Still makeable for two, still very difficult but that’s what I’m there to do. You need a skip who is going to perform under pressure and so far I’ve done that.” 

Meanwhile, Team Alberta-Sluchinski (3-3, Airdrie) kept its playoff dreams alive, posting a 10-8, extra-end win over equally desperate skip Julien Tremblay’s Team Quebec (2-4, Etchemin/Kenogami/Chicoutimi/Victoria). Skip Aaron Sluchinski manufactured a score of three in the ninth with two super shots.

Team Canada jumped on the Islanders with a three-ender to start the game and never looked back, increasing the advantage to 7-1 after four ends. The boys from The Rock shot a blistering 97 per cent (Gushue was 100 per cent) in the game to school Smith’s young team on the importance of rising to the occasion in big games.

“Probably our best game all year to be honest,” said Gushue, looking for his sixth Canadian tile as a skip. “The guys made a lot of shots, left me some easy ones. Had to make a couple of good ones overall. A very, very solid game.”

Gushue says he can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

“This is a really long week but we’re at a situation now with two losses that another loss could really hurt us,” he said. “So we’ve got to make sure we step up, we’ve got to make sure we have 100 per cent intensity and I think we did that really well today.”

Smith said his team will have to shake off the loss.

“I don’t think you can play much better than perfect,” said 25-year-old Smith. “We struggled with the ice, me especially the first two ends. It got away from us early and playing those guys, you’re not coming back.

“It happens, it’s over with, move on and start over tonight.”

The 2024 Montana’s Brier continues Wednesday with draws at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (all times Central).

Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2024 Montana’s Brier are available at www.curling.ca/scoreboard/

TSN and RDS will provide complete coverage of the 2024 Montana’s Brier. CLICK HERE for the complete schedule. Live coverage is also available for international streaming on TSN’s YouTube channel.

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at https://www.curling.ca/?lang=fr