21:00 - The arena has emptied out and that’s it for our first live blog on gameofstonespod.com. Thanks for following!!
20:56 - The games are done but the night is young. The Patch will be hopping. The teams are hitting the town. I’m getting something to eat.
20:53 - Anna Hasselborg is too deep with her last one and Rachel Homan gets the win for a full Team North America sweep. Just like that it’s a 5-point event going into Sunday.
20:51 - Benoit Schwartz, down 3, makes a nice hit to sit 3 with 2 stones left to come. John Shuster makes a cross-house double to run them out of rocks. The folks next to Sheet C are going crazy, seemingly forgetting that they were subjected to the two worst games today. Sports!
20:42 - First game of the night is in the books as Gushue steals a couple in the 7th to beat Bruce Mouat. With North American leads on the other two sheets, the tide may be turning.
20:30 - BJ Neufeld: Can we play the double?
Rachel Homan: What double?
Neufeld makes a double.
#communication
20:24 - That rocks ends up counting as Hasselborg makes a beauty double to get within 1 playing the 7th.
20:14 - Ben Hebert takes over for Rachel Homan sweeping a Hasselborg stone at the back of the house, prompting laughter from Homan and Joanne Courtney. He didn’t get it out of the house.
20:00 - After de Cruz beat Shuster a couple hours ago, it seems as though they challenged each other to have as many rocks in play as humanly possible. 10 in play right now with 3 to come.
19:45 - Team North America is leading each of the games. There is a hint of optimism in the air.
19:44 - It’s the fourth end break on all the sheets. The stands are emptying, the team benches are emptying. The media bench is expressionless.
19:18 - The clocks on Sheet C aren’t working - both teams have palms facing up talking to the umpires wondering what is happening. If only a similar situation had already happened this year and given Curling Canada an opportunity to come with a backup plan. Don’t worry, it will be fine for the Scotties, right?
19:16 - Tonight’s games are worth two points each, so Team North American can cut an 11 point lead to a 5 point lead and give the crowd some hope. At this point in the weekend they have all lost a bunch of money gambling and are slightly hungover/drunk/not feeling great from too many buffets. They need something to hold on to at this point.
19:02 - He got through the port and removed the Team World stone, but also chipped out his own and only scores one. Perhaps they were both right.
19:01 - Facing one, John Shuster yells down to the other end to ask if the front end thinks there is a shot through a port for 2. Monica Walker quickly says no. With that counsel, Shuster says that he thinks it is easy and is going to play the shot.
18:41 - The evening games are underway with a mixed scramble
Sheet A has Brad Gushue, Kaitlyn Lawes, Brett Gallant, and Dawn McEwen against Bruce Mouat, Jennifer Dodds, Bobby Lammie, and Lauren Gray.
Sheet B (TV game) features Rachel Homan, BJ Neufeld, Joanne Courtney, and Ben Hebert going up against Anna Hasselborg, Oscar Eriksson, Agnes Knochenhauer, and Christoffer Sundgren.
Sheet C is a partial rematch of the afternoon draw as John Shuster, Jamie Sinclair, Matt Hamilton, and Monica Walker are going toe to toe with Benoit Schwartz, Alina Patz, Peter de Cruz, and Melanie Barbezat.
18:14 - This ad for the Orleans buffet has confounded me for the past two days
0 Likes, 0 Comments - Game of Stones Podcast (@gameofstonespod) on Instagram: "So many question about this ad for the Orleans buffet. Why is the guy not looking at the cake he is..."
17:48 - Time for the first adult beverage of the day at the Patch, which is remarkably empty. One can only wonder what was said…
17:26 - Just completed an interview with Brian Chick, author of Written in Stone: A Modern History of Curling for the History Slam podcast. Ain’t nothing like recording in an arena!
16:28 - The now empty arena is eerily quiet. To be fair, Team World has done a pretty good job of quieting this building all week, so it’s not as jarring as it would be otherwise.
16:10 - I talk to Bruce Mouat about the burned rock controversy in his game and he mentions that he was reluctant to move the stone, in part, because the camera angles weren’t great to see if the burned rock would have taken out the rock that was sitting third. Really tough spot for him, especially since the crowd was heavily in favour of the North American team. He also conceded that it may have impacted his next shot, where he was heavy, which led to a big end for Koe.
16:02 - Niklas Edin needs a big scrub to get his final rock to the button, but they get it there and it’s a tie on Sheet B and a split of the points in the afternoon draw. That’s good for Team World given their big lead.
15:51 - Kevin Koe cracks a big number in the 7th end and it’s handshakes on Sheet A.
15:43 - Niklas Edin, short on time, rushes down the ice to pitch his last one through and concede the steal of 1 to go down 4-3 to the 8th end. Not sure why he rushed when letting the clock run out we have led to the same conclusion.
15:37 - Brett Gallant suggests a corner freeze on Sheet A at the same moment as Brad Gushue tells his front end he will play a corner freeze on Sheet B. Kismet.
15:26 - Shuster scores single and it’s hand shakes on Sheet C as Team World picks up another point. The crowd provides the most begrudging applause I may have ever heard. If anything, I think the people next to the sheet are excited to have a clearer view of the other 2 games.
15:24 - Gushue eschews a thin double for 3 in favour of a draw for 1 to tie the game with Edin at 3. Isn’t this supposed to be a fun event? They’re called teevee shots for a reason. Give the people what they want!
15:15 - Shuster misses an angle raise for 2 and gives up another steal to go down 6-1. De Cruz actuially mixed it up in that end, but now it’s peel o’clock. Given the two games on that sheet today, the folks with tickets on that side might consider moving to the other side of the building.
15:12 - The stone is eventually moved about a foot. Mouat jams his shot and Koes has an open hit for 3 to take a 4-2 lead. That was exhausting.
15:06 - Kevin Koe makes a pistol angle-double takeout but the shooter hits Ben Hebert. Some discussion on whether it would have moved the stone that currently is 4th shot. Hebert standing at the Team North America bench and not participating in the conversation.
14:58 - John Shuster is light and gives up a steal of 2 to go down 5-1. Second time today that an American skip is getting blown out on Sheet C
14:47 - Half way through the draw and Team World is up in 2 of the 3 games. We’ve seen this before.
14:22 - A somewhat successful voyage up to the concourse led to the discovery of Elvis, mini-donuts, and people who are here from Australia.
2 Likes, 0 Comments - Game of Stones Podcast (@gameofstonespod) on Instagram: "Sometimes there are fun things on the concourse. Props to the people here from Australia #curling..."
14:01 - 2-time world champion/Team North America coach Jeff Stoughton is dispatched to the locker room to get Colton Flasch’s throwing broom. It’s a glamorous gig.
13:42 - Seems like the crowd is a little lighter this afternoon than this morning. Some folks perhaps enjoying the sun while they can. Why I am inside again?
13:22 - The scramble match ups have been set:
Sheet A (TV Game) has Kevin Koe, Chris Plys, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert vs. Bruce Mouat, Sven Michel, Bobby Lammie, and Valentin Tanner
Sheet B - Brad Gushue, BJ Neufeld, Matt Hamilton, and Geoff Walker vs. Niklas Edin, Grant Hardie, Ramus Wrana, and Hammie McMillan
Sheet C - John Shuster, Mark Nichols, Colton Flasch, and John Landsteiner vs. Benoit Schwartz, Oscar Eriksson, Peter de Cruz, Christoffer Sundgren
12:54 - Back in the arena and some brave souls are already in the stands. None of the players are out on the ice yet, but the people are here.
12:16 - I am standing in the sports book at the Orleans and wondering if I should put down a parlay on the Raptors and Celtics tonight. Who messes that up for me?
11:38 - The Patch is poolside today and all 6 women’s teams are here signing autographs. Pretty big crowds despite the chill in the shade.
2 Likes, 0 Comments - Game of Stones Podcast (@gameofstonespod) on Instagram: "On a day where it is nice in the sun, the between draws autograph session is at the poolside patch...."
10:57 - Rachel Homan puts a draw through the house, Anna Hasselborg peels out the shot stone and wins 6-5. Team World wins the morning draw 2.5 to 0.5 to take an overall 16-5 lead. Several North American players avoid the media scrum area and, frankly, who can blame there. There is nothing to say.
10:48 - She makes it and the crowd has its biggest cheer of the day. That everyone is that excited about splitting points is biggest indictment on how bad Team North America has been to this point.
10:47 - Eve Muirhead responds with a double, but Jones has an open hit for 3 and the tie.
10:44 - Eve Muirhead, up 3 in the 8th end, crashes on a guard with her first throw and is now in danger of giving up 4 to lose the game. Since Team North America hasn’t given the crowd anything to cheer about, they cheer the miss.
10:24 - The team skipped by Silvana Tirinzoni gets a single and it’s hand shakes on Sheet C as Team World gets the win 8-3.
10:23 - Hasselborg responds by drawing the button against 3 to score a single. Thousands of dreams dashed in an instant.
10:20 - Anna Hasselborg flashes an open hit. The crowd gasps in shock, which is followed by each of them thinking that, since they also flash hits, maybe they will be able to win an Olympic gold medal too.
10:16 - Eve Muirhead misses and Jennifer Jones steals one. Across all three sheets Team North America has scored the last 7 points, confirming again that curling is a game of runs.
10:11 - Jamie Sinclair draws for two, reminding a majority of the crowd that that game is, in fact, still going on.
10:03 - Team North America scores its first points in about 45 minutes as Jones posts a single and Homan cracks a 3. Nevertheless, Team World is in good shape to sweep the draw (again).
9:42 - This is what Rachel Homan faced with the last rock of the fourth end. In related news, she is now down 5-1.
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9:36 - After a lengthy discussion and timeout, Jennifer Jones looks towards the North American bench to ask what the men think. Ben Hebert shrugs. It’s Saturday morning for everyone.
9:19 - We have what could generously called a subdued crowd on hand this morning. Overall attendance is down from past years - there are lots of empty seats in the corners - and the fact that the North American squad hasn’t given them much to cheer about has meant a quiet atmosphere here. Saturday morning in Vegas could also account for this.
9:06 - As has been the theme so far this week, Team World is off to a good starts, leading in two of the three games.
8:45 - This morning’s games are women’s scramble with some interesting pairings on the North American side
Sheet A (TV game) has Jennifer Jones, Sarah Anderson, Jocelyn Peterman, and Monica Walker against Eve Muirhead, Alina Patz, Vicki Chalmers, Melanie Barberzat
Sheet B - Rachel Homan, Kaitlyn Lawes, Joanne Courtney, and Dawn McEwen against Anna Hasselborg, Jennifer Dodds, Agnes Knochenhauer, and Lauren Gray.
Sheet C - Jamie Sinclair, Emma Miskew, Taylor Anderson, and Lisa Weagle against Silvana Tirinzoni, Sara McManus, Esther Neuenschwander, and Sofia Mabergs
8:42 - Welcome to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada! We will be here all day covering the team scrambles as Team North America tries to come back from the 9-point lead that Team World has built over the first two days.