Background checks on the combatants

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This article was published 14/03/2009 (6340 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Background checks

on the combatants

 

NEWFOUNDLAND VS. MANITOBA

11 a.m., TSN

 

The stakes: The winner of Manitoba-Newfoundland will advance to tonight’s Brier semifinal, while the loser is eliminated.

The background: Stoughton vs. Gushue is one of curling’s great rivalries — right up there with Martin vs. Ferbey. Stoughton’s comments to the Free Press in the leadup to the 2005 Olympic Trials that Brad Gushue had "no chance" to win came back to bite him when Gushue beat Stoughton in the Trials final en route to Olympic gold in Turin.

Since then, Stoughton has beaten Gushue regularly, including twice this winter — once in a Grand Slam event and again Thursday morning in the Brier round-robin.

Manitoba quote: "It wouldn’t matter if we beat him a hundred more times," says Stoughton, "it will never replace that."

Newfoundland quote: "Over the long term," says Gushue, "our teams are so equal, this game should be pretty even."

What to watch for today: The key for Gushue today is actually third Mark Nichols. Don’t get me wrong — Gushue needs to play well too. But historically, as Nichols goes, so goes the Newfoundland team. When he’s on, like he was in the 2005 Trials and in the second half of the Turin Olympics, nobody is better and Gushue’s job becomes simple.

The key for Manitoba is the skip. Third Kevin Park struggled a bit towards the end of the week, but picked it up on Thursday and threw 91 per cent in the tiebreaker against Quebec. But if this Manitoba team is going to win this thing, they’re going to need the best out of their skip. And the good news for Manitoba curling fans is Stoughton is throwing his best right now, putting up a 91 per cent and throwing four runback doubles against Quebec.

 

HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON

Shooting percentage (through 17 draws)

"ö Lead

Man: Steve Gould, 90% (1st)

N.L: Jamie Korab, 83% (10th)

Advantage: Manitoba

"ö Second

Man:Rob Fowler, 85% (3rd)

N.L: Ryan Fry, 81% (5th)

Advantage: Manitoba

"ö Third

Man: Kevin Park, 84% (3rd)

N.L: Mark Nichols, 81% (4th)

Advantage: Manitoba

"ö Skip

Man: Jeff Stoughton 80% (5th)

N.L: Brad Gushue 86% (3rd)

Advantage: Newfoundland

 

ROUND-ROBIN RECORDS

Manitoba: 7-4

Newfoundland: 8-3

 

Overall: pick ’em

Prediction: Newfoundland 7 Manitoba 5

 

— Wiecek