Manitoba’s collapse matches record

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This article was published 04/03/2019 (2378 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BRANDON — Manitoba’s staggering implosion Sunday night at the 2019 Brier is a stark reminder of how quickly things can change when the world’s curling elite collide.

And how the five-rock rule sparks hope.

A plush, five-point cushion after four end should have provided comfort for Mike McEwen and his West St. Paul teammates, who were firing on all cylinders. Brendan Bottcher’s Wild Card crew was experiencing complete engine failure.

But a pair of threes by Bottcher — one carefully constructed in the fifth end and another gift-wrapped by Manitoba in the sixth — turned the tables.

Wild Card held on to record an implausible 9-8, extra-end victory in front of a stunned crowd at Westoba Place. In clawing back, the Edmonton team tied the record for the largest come-from-behind victory in the 39 years of the Canadian men’s curling championship.

McEwen had just a few minutes before he had to face reporters, but admitted he’d been dwelling on the collapse for much of the evening.

“I had lots of time to regroup that game, to contemplate the disaster,” he said. “It’s not like I came off the ice after blowing the lead just then. It happened mid-game. It’s pretty salty. Reid (Carruthers) and I have to be better than that. That’s just poor execution.”

The Brandon-born skipper accepted the blame on the back end’s behalf.

“We had to make easy ones and Reid and I missed two or three really easy ones, a couple of outright flashes which is just not to our expectations,” McEwen said. “You shouldn’t be seeing that from the calibre of players like us. That’s poor.”

After giving up a three-ender in the fifth, Manitoba played a messy sixth and McEwen couldn’t tidy up. Facing three Wild Card counters with his final stone, the skipper’s draw slid hot and wide for a pivotal steal of three. Suddenly, Bottcher owned a 6-5 lead.

McEwen said the addition of another rock to the free-guard zone this season has made clamping down difficult.

“Four-rock, that game’s over. It’s over,” he said. “The five-rock challenges you to keep making shots.”

Manitoba stopped the bleeding with a deuce in the seventh, and then two pristine draws by McEwen pressed Bottcher to settle for a single in the eight and a 7-7 tie. But the buffalo bunch surrendered a steal in the ninth, on purpose, when all McEwen could do was make a double-takeout to limit the damage.

Coming home, the teams traded some exceptional shots and McEwen still had a tough but makeable draw for a winning deuce. His final stone skimmed a guard and bounced away, Manitoba settled for a single to set up an extra end.

Bottcher used the hammer effectively, smacking shot stone on the beak for the decisive point for Wild Card’s second victory of the day.

“Five-rock rule at its best,” Bottcher said. “We pride ourselves on being a team that’s tough to beat.”

Wild Card, Manitoba and Saskatchewan all have 2-1 records in Pool A, but trail Northern Ontario, skipped by Brad Jacobs (3-0).

The Jacobs gang, Olympic champions in 2014, has outscored its opponents 25-7 in three games.

Manitoba had a much easier time on the Sunday morning draw. McEwen’s crew posted a comfortable 8-3 triumph over Quebec’s Martin Crête.

McEwen’s crew returns to the ice today for one game, a 2 p.m. meeting with Jon Solberg of Yukon (1-2).

jason.bell@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @WFPJasonBell