Who’ll stop this train?

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This article was published 07/04/2011 (5497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

REGINA — Good. Better. Best.

Great. Greater. Greatest.

Dominating. Superlative. Sublime.

 

The list of adjectives to describe the performance of the Jeff Stoughton curling team at the 2011 World Men’s Curling Championship is dwindling — and it’s only midweek.

But that is precisely what happens when a curling team goes 9-0 at the worlds and has already locked up a berth in Friday night’s 1 vs. 2 Page playoff game by Wednesday afternoon.

These things simply don’t happen at the worlds. Indeed, the last time a team went undefeated at the men’s worlds was way back in 1995 when, coincidentally, another Winnipeg-based team skipped by Kerry Burtnyk went a perfect 11-0.

But this is the rarefied air this Stoughton team has been breathing for the past two months as they put together a run — they are now 27-2 since the Manitoba provincials — that is rapidly becoming one for the ages.

With two more wins Wednesday — 9-4 over the Czech Republic and 10-6 over Sweden — Stoughton and his Team Canada foursome heads into its final two round-robin games today. They play China this morning and Norway tonight, with nothing still to resolve having clinched first place with Scotland’s 7-5 loss to Norway late Wednesday night.

They have gotten better and better with each mounting victory until they have begun to look almost unbeatable.

Consider: In their last four victories, Canada as a team has shot 88 per cent, 92 per cent, 92 per cent and finally 93 per cent in a romp over Sweden Wednesday afternoon.

Third Jon Mead has been even more eye-popping, throwing 93 per cent, 99 per cent and 97 per cent in his last three matches.

The win over Sweden was particularly notable, coming in a game that was supposed to be their stiffest challenge so far, but instead looked more like a cat playing with a wounded mouse as Canada jumped out to a big lead with a four-ender in the second, let Sweden back in the game with a deuce in the third, then broke Sweden’s spirit with a three-ender in the fourth when Stoughton made an angle-raised double tap-back.

Swedish skip Niklas Edin was asked after the game what it would take right now to beat Canada.

“They’re not impossible to beat,” Edin said, “but you would have to play a really good game.”

Though they have made it all look easy, Mead says that’s only partly right.

“It’s not easy; for sure it’s not easy,” Mead said. “

“But the difference is that sometimes you’re playing and you’re really uptight because it feels like one miss is going to kill you. Even when we’re playing good, playing a Kevin Martin or someone like that.

“But this doesn’t feel like that. This feels like if (second) Reid (Carruthers) misses a peel, then I will make a double. And if I miss a run-back, then Jeff will make a draw. There’s just a confidence right now that takes away that anxiety and that pressure that you would normally be feeling.

“I’ve never been on a roll like this. It’s Martin-esque what we’ve been doing. It’s exciting. And it’s not like we’ve been beating stooges along the way.”

The challenge remains, however. World championships are not won on Wednesday, they are won on Sunday. The task before Stoughton and company is to somehow maintain all that confidence and high level of play through a schedule that could see them playing just two meaningful games in the next four days — Friday night’s 1 vs. 2 game and, if they win that one, Sunday’s final.

Stoughton said a rest is much needed right now anyway. Because though the games on the ice have looked easy, the one in his head has been tough.

“It’s exhausting out there,” Stoughton said. “Because you want to win so badly, it takes a lot out of you.”

He said there’s no danger of his team letting up on the throttle, however.

“Just win, baby — that’s what we want to do. It’s pretty simple: We hate to lose and we love winning. That’s how we stay motivated.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

swedes look to canada c2