Tim Hortons Brier 2017: Friday Curling Results, Updated Draw and Schedule
The 2017 Tim Hortons Brier is winding down, though there was still a lot to be decided Friday in the final phase of sheet play before the page playoff round begins.
Newfoundland & Labrador against Manitoba is the main event of the day's action from the Mile One Centre in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. Those two teams square off in the first match after the round-robin stage concludes.
Before those two stepped on the ice for that showdown, four matches determined the final standings in round-robin play.
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| A | Manitoba vs. Quebec | Manitoba def. Quebec 5-2 |
| B | Ontario vs. Northwest Territories | Ontario def. Northwest Territories 6-5 |
| C | Newfoundland & Labrador vs. Nova Scotia | Newfoundland & Labrador def. Nova Scotia 6-3 |
| D | New Brunswick vs. Canada | Canada def. New Brunswick 7-6 |
| B (Page Playoff 1) | Newfoundland & Labrador vs. Manitoba | Newfoundland & Labrador def. Manitoba 7-5 |
| Saturday, March 11 | Canada vs. Northern Ontario | 1:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, March 11 | Manitoba vs. TBD (Semifinals) | 6:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, March 12 | TBD vs. TBD (Bronze-Medal Match) | 1:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, March 12 | Newfoundland & Labrador vs. TBD (Gold-Medal Match) | 6:30 p.m. |
Newfoundland & Labrador 7, Manitoba 5
In the second match of the day for both teams, Newfoundland & Labrador was able to secure a spot in the gold-medal match with a 7-5 win over Manitoba.
Newfoundland & Labrador controlled things most of the way, taking a 2-1 lead after the second end and eventually extending the margin to three at 5-2 after the seventh end.
The Newfoundland & Labrador lineup was fantastic in the win. All four of its shooters had at least 65 points and a shooting percentage of 90.
By contrast, Manitoba's four-man lineup didn't have one shooter hit better than 89 percent of his attempts. Mike McEwen was the low-man on the totem pole at 76 percent and 58 points.
In addition to securing a spot in the gold-medal match, Newfoundland & Labrador will be able to take Saturday off while the rest of the playoff field sorts itself out to determine who will be the second finalist.
Manitoba 5, Quebec 2
Manitoba concluded an excellent round-robin run with a 5-2 victory over Quebec. Its 9-2 record tied with Newfoundland & Labrador for the best mark overall, though it gets the advantage by virtue of a head-to-head win March 5.
Manitoba and Quebec had potent offensive attacks Friday. Seven of the eight players had scoring percentages of at least 90 percent, with Quebec's Jean-Michel Menard being the low man on the totem pole at 78 percent.
Stealing 11 ends from Quebec was the big key to success for Manitoba in the victory. It's an excellent end to the round-robin stage for a team that looks like the one to beat for a gold medal.
Ontario 6, Northwest Territories 5
Ontario was able to salvage its appearance in the Tim Hortons Brier with a tense victory over the Northwest Territories.
After the Northwest Territories tied the score at five in the ninth end, Ontario responded with a single point in the 10th to secure its fourth victory of the tournament.
On the losing end, this was not a good look. The Northwest Territories lost 10 of its 11 games, tying for the worst record in the field.
Newfoundland & Labrador 6, Nova Scotia 3
Newfoundland & Labrador has found its stride after being the only team to lose against the Northwest Territories. The team put away Nova Scotia with three late points, including two in the seventh end, to earn its ninth win overall.
Geoff Walker was the star of the match, finishing with 68 points and a 94 percent successful shot rate in the victory.
Heading into the first playoff match of the tournament Friday evening, Newfoundland & Labrador is playing as well as it has over the past week and will be looking for its second straight appearance in the gold-medal match after losing to Alberta in 2016.
Canada 7, New Brunswick 6
Canada was able to secure its spot in the playoffs with a narrow 7-6 victory over New Brunswick, its eighth win of the tournament.
Northern Ontario had already won its eighth match Thursday evening, putting it in the driver's seat for one of the top four spots. Canada was coming off a defeat against Newfoundland & Labrador at the same time, leaving some doubt about what was going to happen.
Canada earned this victory with a single point in the 10th end after New Brunswick tied things 6-6 in the ninth. The Canadian team already holds a 6-4 victory over Northern Ontario in this year's Brier, so things are set up for it to get a shot at gold for the first time since 2015.
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