No need for ‘the Shot’ this time

Jones calmly, methodically dismantles old foe Hanna

By: Melissa Martin Posted: 3:00 AM CST Friday, Feb. 26, 2016

GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. -- The first time they faced each other, over a decade ago, it was as if that jaw-dropping last shot marked the fork in the road.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*Billed as $4.00 plus GST every four weeks. After 24 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

*Billed as $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.

GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. -- The first time they faced each other, over a decade ago, it was as if that jaw-dropping last shot marked the fork in the road.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/02/2016 (3700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. — The first time they faced each other, over a decade ago, it was as if that jaw-dropping last shot marked the fork in the road.

In that moment, their paths diverged. Ontario skip Jenn Hanna never got back to a Scotties final. Jennifer Jones would, seven more times, and likely counting.

So when they met again at Revolution Place Thursday night, 11 years older but light years apart from who they were, it wasn’t nearly as electric as the hype implied. Producers tried to sell it: between ends, TSN ran a retrospective of 2005, of “the Shot” and those sailing rocks, and the rush of Manitoban joy.

CP
jonathan hayward / the canadian press
Team Canada skip Jennifer Jones celebrates her team�s win over Manitoba with second Jill Officer Thursday, before heading to the evening match, where she dispatched Ontario skip Jenn Hanna 8-2 in the evening draw. — CP jonathan hayward / the canadian press Team Canada skip Jennifer Jones celebrates her team�s win over Manitoba with second Jill Officer Thursday, before heading to the evening match, where she dispatched Ontario skip Jenn Hanna 8-2 in the evening draw.

This time, on the ice in Grande Prairie, Jones steered the game to its logical conclusion, calmly. Her Team Canada four controlled the game fully, building on an exceptional performance by the skip. There wasn’t any visible difference when Jones finally ran Hanna out of rocks and shook on a 7-4 result in the 10th.

No fireworks. No leaping. It’s just business, and straightforward: with the win, Jones rose to 8-2 on the week and clinched a playoff spot. Just three more wins could defend their championship, starting Friday morning when they wrap the round robin against a struggling British Columbia team.

That would launch them to a spot in Friday night’s 1-vs-2 Page playoff game against Alberta’s Chelsea Carey. “It’s always nice to control your own destiny,” Jones said. “We knew we did, even when we were 1-2. We knew if we won out, we’d have a pretty good shot to make it. I feel like we’re playing well right now.”

So for those counting at home, the 2014 Manitoba champion and the 2015 Manitoba champion are booked to the playoffs. They may be joined by a third: with one last game to go, Kerri Einarson is sitting pretty at 6-4 and has a prime chance to guarantee herself the fourth playoff spot with just one more win.

It was a big day for the buffalo gals. On Thursday afternoon, Einarson and Jones fought the battle of Manitoba, though it ended up being more of a minor skirmish as Jones won 8-4 in just eight ends. The Manitobans rebounded at night, dealing an 8-7 win to Prince Edward Island’s Suzanne Birt.

Einarson’s crew controlled the first half, though unusually gave up a single and then three straight steals to finish off the game. Still, they had enough of a lead built up to win — and what happened next door left them in the driver’s seat on their playoff fate.

Einarson has just one hurdle left to clear: a Friday morning match against last-place New Brunswick skip Sylvie Robichaud, who is 8-2 on the week. Meanwhile, when Saskatchewan’s Jolene Campbell lost her game to Alberta on her very last shot, that knocked them back to a 6-5 finish on the week.

Despite the significance of that match on Einarson’s own fate, she kept her eyes focused on her own ice.

“You just want to focus on your destiny and yours only,” Einarson said. “You just have to go out there and play your game, and hopefully come out with a win. I’m really happy with where we are.”

One fun fact TSN dredged up: since the Scotties adopted its Page playoff format in 1995, no two teams from the same province have ended up in the playoffs at the same time. What a chance to start that with Jones and Einarson, to say nothing of the fact the last three Manitoba champs could be in it.

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca

Melissa Martin
Reporter-at-large

Melissa Martin reports and opines for the Winnipeg Free Press.

Every piece of reporting Melissa produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.

Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.

Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.

Melissa Martin
Reporter-at-large

Melissa Martin reports and opines for the Winnipeg Free Press.

Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.

Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.