PORT HAWKESBURY, N.S. — It was right back to business for new Brier champ Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L.
Fresh off of winning his first career Canadian men’s curling championship in his hometown, Gushue started his Princess Auto Elite 10 title defence with a 1-up shootout victory over Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers during Thursday’s opening draw.
Gushue edged Carruthers in a shootout to begin the Elite 10 last season and pulled it off again in the final. While that victory was therapeutic after Gushue fell in the Brier final, entering as the champ is a bit of a struggle.
“I can remember last year talking about how difficult it could be coming in after losing a Brier but probably more difficult after winning a Brier and I was right,” Gushue said. “It is for sure. I think when you come in after a loss it’s obviously difficult to get back up, but you feel like you have something to prove. After us winning, there’s been so much demand on our time that we’re tired, to be honest.
“I think it’s going to be difficult to get back up but I really thought we did a good job in that game. Obviously the intensity wasn’t the same as it was last week but I thought we played well. I thought we had a good attitude knowing that it is going to be hard for us to get up. We didn’t get down on each other or anything like that. We made as many shots as we could and fortunately made enough. I was happy with how it went. I do think as the week goes on it’s going to get easier because you are going to get back into the flow of things.”
This time third Mark Nichols delivered the draw and landed right on the button.
Mark Nichols draws to the button for the shootout win over Team Carruthers! #gsoc #Elite10 @TeamGushue pic.twitter.com/BQy02vObHo
— Grand Slam Curling (@grandslamcurl) March 16, 2017
“We let Mark throw it this time, but he had just thrown a draw in the last end down the exact same spot,” Gushue said. “The draw paths were all different, so we felt with him throwing it a couple minutes after just throwing it was our best bet and he put it right on the button. He made a good shot.”
Gushue won three ends during the match play game and all three times he didn’t need to throw his last rock as he already had the end in hand and Carruthers was unable to get in there for first or second shot. Not having to make those shots was key with Gushue still dealing with his lingering hip/groin issue and Tom Sallows subbing for lead Geoff Walker, who is out with a shoulder injury.
“The concern for us is my hip and groin and obviously Geoff’s shoulder,” Gushue said. “Geoff’s not playing and me not throwing those three rocks is certainly a bonus and even the draw to the button. If we can come out of this week playing well, keeping our momentum and not being more tired than we were coming in, I think this week will be a success no matter what the result is.”
Gushue opened with the hammer but didn’t get out to an ideal start giving up a steal. He bounced back in the second end sitting three and didn’t need to throw his last as Carruthers was off the mark on his final rock and kicked it off before it even hit the house.
Carruthers pulled 1-up in the third peeling out Gushue’s stone at the back of the four-foot circle to sit two. Gushue took the checkmark in the fourth, again not having to toss his last with Carruthers unable to angle in his final rock of the end for first or second shot.
After Gushue clipped a stone in the 12-foot circle with his last in five, Carruthers capitalized by drawing in to sit two and take the end. Once again, Gushue had the end in his pocket prior to his last in six and Carruthers crashed on a guard with his final rock. Neither team could get things going in the seventh and eighth to force the extra end.
Meanwhile, Peter de Cruz of Switzerland also grabbed a 1-up win in a shootout over Calgary’s Kevin Koe. Team De Cruz fourth Benoit Schwarz finished on the button, Team Koe third Marc Kennedy also landed on the lid, but just didn’t get it as close.
Sweden’s Niklas Edin was the first winner of the tournament stealing three consecutive ends in a 3 & 2 victory over Toronto’s John Epping.
NOTES: The Princess Auto Elite 10 is the fifth event of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and features a match play format where teams compete to win the most ends per game by either scoring two or more with the hammer or stealing at least one without the hammer. … The winner will earn an invite to the season-ending Humpty’s Champions Cup running April 25-30 at WinSport Arena in Calgary. … The Princess Auto Elite 10 runs through to Sunday at the Civic Centre.
