Winnipeg’s Carruthers rink improves to 4-3 to keep Olympic curling hopes alive

By: Paul Wiecek Posted: 11:54 AM CST Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017

OTTAWA — Winnipeg's Reid Carruthers stayed alive here at the Roar of the Rings Thursday morning, dumping defending Olympic gold medallist Brad Jacobs 9-5 to improve his West St. Paul squad’s round-robin record to 4-3.

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This article was published 07/12/2017 (3184 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers stayed alive here at the Roar of the Rings Thursday morning, dumping defending Olympic gold medallist Brad Jacobs 9-5 to improve his West St. Paul squad’s round-robin record to 4-3.

Carruthers still needs to win his final round-robin game Friday night against Brendan Bottcher and then have either Brad Gushue or Mike McEwen — who are both tied for second at 4-2 — lose in their respective final two games in order to qualify for the weekend playoff round.

Jacobs dropped to 2-4 with the loss to Carruthers and now needs a miracle if he’s going to successfully defend his trials title and represent Canada in men’s curling in consecutive Winter Olympics.

Reid Carruthers looks on as skip Brad Jacobs calls to his sweepers on the morning draw in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press)

No team with four losses has ever qualified for the playoffs in this event.

McEwen, meanwhile, is in control of his own destiny and can qualify for the three-team weekend playoff round as long as he wins his final two games — Thursday night against Jacobs and Friday morning against Bottcher.

Calgary’s Kevin Koe has already qualified for the playoffs with a 6-0 record. The first-place team at the end of the round-robin Friday night advances straight to Sunday evening’s men’s final, while the second- and third-place teams play in a semifinal Saturday.

Meanwhile, Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones-led team could clinch a playoff spot here Thursday afternoon with a victory over Thunder Bay’s Krista McCarville.

Jones comes into the McCarville game at 5-1 and off a loss to Calgary’s Chelsea Carey Wednesday afternoon.

Carey leads the women’s field at 5-0, while Rachel Homan is tied for second with Jones at 5-1.

In the only other game here Thursday morning, Michelle Englot and her Winnipeg foursome won their second straight to improve to 2-4 with an 8-7 extra-end victory over Toronto’s Allison Flaxey.

email: paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek