#BetweenTheSheets: Power Rankings
Paying respect to Remembrance Day
With many players and teams taking time to reflect and thank those who serve our country and protect it, both internally and externally, it almost feels like there should be no curling on such a national holiday.
On the flip side, there are many veterans who curl. Who love to curl. Who love the sport. Who are champions in the sport, on and off the ice.
So the rocks continued to spin but with an extra spin towards respect.
THANK YOU to all our members of the military, including those supporting family members not serving but still protecting in a different way.
#LestWeForget
No preamble this week. No big discussion topic to feature. Lets just dive right in, shall we?
Here is your weekend runback.
#TheRunback
National - Mixed
🥌 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship - Quebec (Team Asselin) def. Northern Ontario (Team Bonot). #Labelleprovince was the class of the field all week, posting a 8-2 RR record to finish 1st. Their only losses came against Yukon and Nova Scotia. The win was a #3peat for Quebec as Asselin was able to #DefendTheIce. Northwest Territories (Team Koe) defeated B.C. (Team Craig) for bronze.
Men
🥌 Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic - Team Epping (ONT) def. Team Camm (ONT). Mat Camm got the better of Jason Camm in this tour final matchup. Both teams qualified for the playoffs via the B-side. Epping broke local hearts in the playoffs, knocking off Team Thompson (QF) and Team Purcell (SF) before winning the all-Ontario finale. Camm also broke Halifax hearts in the playoffs with wins over Team Colter (QF) and Team Manuel (SF).
🥌 Original 16 Mens Cash Spiel - Team Whyte (SCO) def. Team Sluchinski (AB). Whyte went perfect once again in winning back-to-back tour titles. The Scottish lads are now 13-1 in the last two events. They defeated Team Yanagisawa (QF) and Team Hartung (SF) in the playoffs. Sluchinski was undefeated (6-0) entering the final with playoffs wins over Team Vavrek (QF) and Team Jacques (SF).
🥌 Curling Stadium Contender Series - Team Shuster (USA) def. Team Casper (USA). Shuster went 3-1 in the RR to qualify and defeated Team Siggins (QF) and Team Brundidge (SF) to reach the final. The US Olympic team has now won back-to-back tour events. Casper also went 3-1 in the RR and knocked off Team Dunnam (QF) and Team Sampson (SF) in the playoffs.
🥌 COMCO Cash Spiel - Team Ferris (ONT) def. Team Duruelle (ONT). Both teams reached the playoffs with identical 2-1 RR records, qualifying out of the same pool. Duruelle handed Ferris their only defeat of the event in the RR. Ferris defeated Team Iseli (QF) and Team Willsey (SF) to reach the final. Dueuelle defeated Team Chandler (QF) and Team Rooney (SF) in the playoffs.
🥌 Prague Classic - Team Nyman (SWE) def. Team Klima (CZE). Both teams qualified for the playoffs out of Group B with identical 4-1 records. Klima bested Nyman in the RR with Nyman returning the favour in the game that mattered most. Team Ramsfjell (NOR) defeated Team Karagoz (TUR) to win bronze.
Women
🥌 Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic - Team Lawes (MB) def. Team Black (NS). No Lawes, No Probs? Laura Walker joined the team this weekend and chalk up a championship win along the way. Lawes reached the playoffs via the B-side, including playoff victories over Team Inglis (QF) and Team Kelly (SF), before knocking off previously undefeated Black in the final. For Team Lawes, they avenged their only loss of the tournament in the QF win over Inglis and handed Kelly their only loss of the event. Black defeated Team Curtis (QF) and Team Jones (SF) to reach the final with a 5-0 record.
🥌 Ladies Alberta Open - Team Skrlik (AB) def. Team Scheidegger (AB). Skrlik reached the playoffs with a 3-1 RR record before defeating Team Stiksma (QF) and Team Hartwell (SF) to make the final. The extra end #StealPants W handed Scheidegger their only loss for the weekend. Scheidegger's path the final included playoffs victory over Team Johnston (SF) as they earned a bye to the SF with a perfect 4-0 RR record.
🥌 Curling Stadium Contender Series - Team Bear (USA) def. Team Anderson (USA). Bear was the only team to wrap up the RR with a perfect 4-0 record and rode their winning streak through the playoffs to capture the title, including a SF win over Team Rhyme. Anderson went 3-1 in the RR, also earning a bye to the SF (def. Team Strouse). Bear's win qualified them for USA Nationals.
Mixed Doubles
🥌 Nanaimo Double Doubles Spiel - Team Reese-Hansen / Chester (BC) def. Team King-Simpson / Croteau (BC). Both duos entered the final undefeated, sporting 3-0 RR records before earning SF wins over Team Quintero/Abreu and Team Durrant/Bartlett.
🥌 Ilderton Mixed Doubles Spiel - Team Liscumb / Liscumb (ONT) def. Team Cottrill / Cottrill (ONT). The "same name" final featured two teams who went 2-1 in the RR to reach the playoff round. Liscumb/Liscumb knocked off Team Randell/Lemieux (QF) and Team Tuck/Tuck (SF) to reach the final. Cottrill./Cottrill defeated Team Gebhardt/Fairfull (QF) and Team Mallet/Jackson (SF) in the playoffs.
Here is how the updated mountain looks heading into a busy part of the schedule. Can teams maintain their position heading into the second half?
#PowerRankings
Women
1. Team Tirinzoni (1) - The world champs are preparing for the Euro's, which start next weekend in Sweden. Can the #1 team solidify their spot atop the mountain with a Euro title?
2. Team Gim (2) - The Koreans finally took a weekend off. And the mountain is not going to knock them for it.
3. Team Einarson (3) - Another top team who took a weekend off after competing in the new, yet also stressed, Pan Continental the previous week.
4. Team Fujisawa (HM) - The PCCC champs enjoyed a celebratory week off as well...and very deserving.
5. Team Lawes (6) - Skipper Kaitlyn Lawes is in full "mommy-to-be" mode now so the team welcomed another mom to the team this past weekend, Laura Walker. And they went on to win the title in Halifax. Walker fit in perfectly and it is great to see her back on the women's ice after seeing her compete in a few MD events earlier this season.
6. Team Homan (5) - Knocked down only to reward Team Lawes for their title this past weekend. Not a concern though for the Tour Challenge champs.
7. Team Hasselborg (7) - The season really builds to next weekend for the #SwedishVikings as they try to win back their Euro title on home ice. They did so back in 2019, why not in 2022?
8. Team Ha (8) - The mountain cannot drop the PCCC runner-up for finally taking some time off. Hopefully we see this team on slam ice soon.
9. Team Skrlik (NR) - Welcome a new team to the Top 10! Skrlik is riding a hot hand over the past month, qualifying A-side at the Autumn Gold and winning this past weekend in Okotoks. Perhaps the TB loss at the Tour Challenge Tier II was a blessing in disguise as the team sports an impressive 10-2 record since. Excited to see how they do against a strong field in Red Deer this weekend. Watch out for the young Calgary team folks!
10. Team Scheidegger (NR) - Sure they lost the final in an extra end with hammer but they reached the final undefeated and look to be finding their sliders at the right time. We know this team is capable of knocking off any team above them on the mountain. Now, at this point in the season, time to put those expected results into real results.
Hon. Mention: Team Jones, Team Wrana, Team Kitazawa, Team Black, Team Bear
Men
1. Team Edin (1) - We know how hot this team has been with 3 players over the past month but this upcoming week at Euro's in the big indicator of how ready this team is to move forward with a new look. Daniel Magnusson will join them at lead position. Skip Nik Edin will be out for an indefinite timeframe. Magnusson has been a regular 5th player for the team so the transition should not be too big an issue. But Euro's are Euro's and the field is strong.
2. Team Gushue (2) - No play, no prob for the PCCC champs. They retain their ranking until someone can knock them off.
3. Team Dunstone (3) - Similar to Gushue above, Dunstone took some time off (even supporting local TRU in winning the USport men's soccer title this weekend). They retain their Top 3 ranking.
4. Team Dropkin (4) - Can anyone run down the Young Bucks and knock them from a Top 4 placement? Still lots of curling to be done this season and their rivals, Team Shuster, seem to have found their footing now.
5. Team Koe (6) - As with above teams, inactivity does not merit a drop in the rankings...yet.
6. Team Whyte (8) - This is the young gun team the blog was expecting to see at the start of the season. The Scottish lads have picked up back-to-back tour wins and head to Red Deer on a roll of momentum. Could one of those wins also cement them a spot in the season-ending Champions Cup?
7. Team Schwaller (6) - Sure they drop a spot due to how hot Ross Whyte is curling right now but they have the advantage of competing at the European Curling Championships, which could earn them a big boost up the mountain with a strong performance. If Team Edin is looking vulnerable, is Schwaller to capitalist?
8. Team Mouat (7) - If Schwaller cannot seize the day, watch out for the defending champs in Sweden! Scotland's Team Mouat has not looked as dominant as we have seen in the past but do not let the results fool you. This is still the Olympic silver medal winner and they have been playing the early part of the season in preparation for Euro's. Do you want to bet against them?
9. Team Shuster (10) - Another event, another win. This is the Team Shuster we were expecting to see this season. They may be arriving late to the party but they have arrived. And season darlings/national rivals Team Dropkin might want to take notice. This rivalry could be heating up this season now...and the American curling fans are living for it!
10. Team Sluchinski (NR) - Are Team Sluchinski watching these #PowerRankings? Just when they get knocked off the mountain, they come right back with a deep run performance and earn their way back into the Top 10. Is this team not getting enough credit for just how good they are? The blog certainly thinks so! Two championship finals (one being the Tour Challenge Tier II) sandwiched around a QF result over the past month is pretty impressive. If you are not taking notice and buying stock in this team yet, what are you waiting for?
Hon. Mention: Team Ramsfjell, Team Retornaz, Team Nyman, Team Vavrek, Team Epping
#StayTuned
This upcoming weekend brings us another continental championship with the European Curling Championships hitting the ice in Ostersund, Sweden.
Scotland (women) and Sweden (men) will try to #DefendTheIce but with different lineups.
There is also a very stacked men's and women's tour event in Red Deer that should garnish a few eyes and perhaps end up being a qualifier for the season ended Champions Cup based on the strength of field.
Until the rocks start spinning, enjoy the week.
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