Wins are too easy for 2-0 Stoughton

Can't get feel for ice in such quick games

By: Paul Wiecek Posted: 1:00 AM CST Friday, Feb. 10, 2012

DAUPHIN -- Jeff Stoughton and his defending world champion foursome have been making short work of their opponents the first two days at the 2012 Safeway Manitoba Men's Curling Championship.

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DAUPHIN -- Jeff Stoughton and his defending world champion foursome have been making short work of their opponents the first two days at the 2012 Safeway Manitoba Men's Curling Championship.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/02/2012 (5302 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DAUPHIN — Jeff Stoughton and his defending world champion foursome have been making short work of their opponents the first two days at the 2012 Safeway Manitoba Men’s Curling Championship.

After drilling Flin Flon’s Brad Hyrich 11-2 on opening day Wednesday, Stoughton put on an encore performance Thursday with a 7-1 thrashing of Ste. Anne’s Murray Woodward.

Stoughton has outscored his opponents 18-3 and played just 13 ends so far.

Winnipeg Free Press
Jeff Stoughton — Winnipeg Free Press Jeff Stoughton

If all that sounds like a familiar storyline out of a man with a record nine Manitoba men’s titles, well, that would be just fine with the man in question.

“Let’s hope you’re seeing it again,” laughed Stoughton. “I like the re-runs. It feels good.”

But having said that, Stoughton quickly added that he was less than impressed with his team’s performance against Woodward, which produced such a lopsided score more because of the shots Woodward missed than the shots Stoughton made.

“If we play like that, we know we won’t beat the top seeds. We need to pick it up and make some more shots.”

And throw some more rocks. With such short games so far, Stoughton says he feels he has yet to get a good feel for the ice. “It would have been nice to have stayed out there and just thrown 20 rocks each and get a little rhythm going,” Stoughton said after the win over Woodward. “We threw 12 rocks today (each). It’s not much of a sequence.”

— — —

This year’s provincials have unfolded remarkably according to form so far.

The top seven seeds remain undefeated heading into today, with each boasting 2-0 records.

In addition to Stoughton’s win over Woodward on Thursday, second seed Mike McEwen beat Brandon’s Kelly Skinner 7-2; third seed Rob Fowler defeated Pinawa’s Richard Muntain 8-4; fourth seed Willie Lyburn beat Neepawa’s Kelly Robertson 6-1; fifth seed Daley Peters beat Granite’s Scott Ramsay 7-4; sixth seed Sean Grassie beat Arborg’s Kyle Foster 7-3; and seventh seed Dean Dunstone defeated West Kildonan’s Dave Elias 7-4.

The only exception was eighth seed Jason Gunnlaugson, who was eliminated with back-to-back losses to Neepawa’s Jerry Chudley (8-5) and West Kildonan’s Trevor Loreth (7-3).

Four of the eight berths into the preliminary playoff round this weekend will be determined on the 8:30 a.m. draw. McEwen plays Dunstone, Grassie plays Fowler, Lyburn plays Peters and Stoughton plays Chudley.

— — —

Shaw TV will broadcast live the opening draw of the playoff round tonight at 7:45 p.m.. The broadcaster will also televise live the Page playoff games Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m., the semifinal Sunday morning at 9 a.m. and the final at 1:30 p.m.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca