#BetweenTheSheets: ROCK-y Road To Conception Bay
Crunch time for teams to qualify for Boost National
As this blog discussed last week, the crunch time is on for teams looking to make the big money, collect the big points, compete on the nice ice and get some coveted TV time. Teams are looking to qualify for the Grand Slam of Curling events throughout the season and with one #gsoc already over, another starting this week and the third already having the field finalized, we have reached the half-way point of the slam season. Weird right?
Ok so only one event has actually slide out of the hack but teams are always looking forward and the cut-off date to qualify for the next slam, the #BoostNational in Conception Bay, NL, is fast approaching. November 5 to be exact. Two weeks from now.
For teams on the cusp of reaching the coveted Top 15 on the Order of Merit (OOM) ranking list, the time is now to make your move. The results of a team over this past weekend and the weekend ahead could determine smooth sailing onto The Rock or a Rock-Y road towards Newfoundland and Labrador.
For this week's #PowerRankings blog post we are going to start the qualification comparison between the new proposed #TwineTime ranking system and the actual OOM. While this blog has been talking about the benefit of a new tiered structure, have the results actually created much difference between the #TwineTime rankings and the OOM rankings?
This week lets just look at the Top 20 on both rankings and see where the differences are, if any. Maybe the current system actually does work and fully represents the top teams on tour this season who are deserving and have earned their spot among the #gsoc elite.
But before we dive into the comparison, first we need to reveal the updated rankings based on the tour results this past weekend. Which teams made a pivotal move towards qualification and which failed to seize an opportunity? Here is how the rocks landed after this weekend's #wct action:
#GunnerRunback
- Congratulations to Team Canada, represented by Team Anderson from Ontario (including #TwineTimeFam member Danielle Inglis at vice), for winning the nation's first World Mixed Curling Championship. Canada defeated #TeamUpset nation Spain in the #WMxCC2018 championship final. Pre-tournament favourite Russia took home the bronze over Norway. For Norway this would be their second straight year losing in the bronze medal game.
- At the #ChinaOpen it was a Russian sweep for gold. Team Kovaleva continued to showcase why they are one of the surprise teams on tour this year by picking up their second title of the year knocking off surprise finalist Team Hegner from Switzerland. Canada's Team Jones rebounded from the SF loss to Hegner to win the bronze over China's Team Mei. For the men, what a debut result for Russia's Team Mironov knocking off 2017 world champion Canada's Team Gushue in the final. This is the second #wct men's title for Russia this season after compatriot Team Timofeev won a title last month. Norway's Team Ulsrud picked up the bronze medal over Sweden's Team Nyman.
- At the #CanadInnsClassic in Portage, Team Carey, including superspare Breanne Meakin at lead, won their first title as a new team taking down the red-hot Team Einarson in the final. A nice finish for Carey who earlier in the tournament lost 0-8 to Japan's Team Nakajimi and then won 6 straight to collect the championship. Japan's Team Fujisawa and China's Team Liu reached the SF round.
- In Champery, Switzerland, the home nation had reason to celebrate when Team De Cruz collected their first title of the year knocking off Scotland's Team Muirhead to claim the #CurlingMastersChampery championship. Team Edin and #TeamUpset contender Team Van Dorp from Netherlands reached the SF.
- In Aland, Finland, Sweden's Team Wrana continued to show they are evolving into a future is now threat when they collected their second title of the season winning the #PafMasters over Japan's Team Yoshimura. Sweden's Team Sundberg and Switzerland's Team Fellmann had strong results in reaching the SF.
- In Gatineau, Quebec teams made strong runs to the playoffs (as called by #TwineTime in the #TeamUpset preview) but it would be neighbouring Ontario collecting the #ChallengeGatineau title when Team McDonald knocked off the new-look Team Thomas. Quebec's Team Homan flew the #TeamUpset flag to the SF along with China's Team Zang.
- At the #MedicineHatClassic, Saskatchewan's Team Fesser started their season with a bang collecting their maiden title together knocking off Alberta's Team Marthaller. Team Rocque and Team Just completed the Final Four. On the men's side of the draw, Team Appelman picked up the championship cheque Monday afternoon knocking off #TeamBRO Team Muyres in the final. Teams Sturmay and K. Hartung reached the SF.
A few #TeamUpset results over the weekend. A few contenders missing the house. And a few teams continuing to build momentum heading into the late-Fall, early-Winter portion of the season. With 3 #Tour1000, 4 #Tour500 and 1 #Tour250 events wrapping up, what effect did the results above have on power ranking mountain?
#PowerRankings
WOMEN
- Team Einarson - 2610 (LW: 1)
- Team Kovaleva - 1980 (3)
- Team Hasselborg - 1750 (2)
- Team Tirinzoni - 1470 (4)
- Team Yoshimura - 1345 (5)
Hon. Mention: Team Wrana, Team Jones, Team Carey, Team Rocque, Team Sidorova
MEN
- Team Epping - 1745 (LW: 1)
- Team McDonald - 1675 (NR)
- Team Edin - 1660 (4)
- Team De Cruz - 1660 (NR)
- Team Carruthers - 1540 (2)
Hon. Mention: Team Bottcher, Team Jacobs, Team Schwaller, Team Gushue, Team Walstad
Our Top 5 for the women seem to be pretty consistent over the past few weeks. The number next to the name may change slightly, unless you are Team Einarson who sit atop the mountain for a third consecutive week. The big mover of the week is Sweden's Wrana, who last appeared in the Top 5 in Week 5 and is now hovering just outside the Top 5 once again.
The men see the gap continue to close at the top for Team Epping. While Epping remains planted in the #1 spot for 6th straight week, the other teams are closing in. Epping had an opportunity to put distance between themselves and the competition this weekend in Gatineau but failing to reach the playoffs in a big #Tour1000 event has its setbacks. Enter Team McDonald, the fast riser of the week. McDonald has hovered around the HM category a few weeks this year but the title win in Gatineau propelled them to the #2 spot. Meanwhile Team De Cruz also used a championship win to get back in the Top 5 this week, sitting tied for 3rd with Team Edin.
Now the comparison. Below is the Top 20 based on the #TwineTime rankings and the OOM. Make note however, the men's result in Medicine Hat is not included in the OOM standings below but ARE included in the #TwineTime rankings. For the #BoostNational, qualification will be the Top 14 teams based on the OOM rankings on November 5, 2018. The 15th team to complete the field will be a sponsor's exemption (usually reserved for a local team).
MEN
#TwineTime #OOM
- Team Epping Team Edin
- Team McDonald Team Gushue
- Team Edin Team Koe
- Team De Cruz Team Carruthers
- Team Carruthers Team Jacobs
- Team Bottcher Team Mouat
- Team Jacobs Team Epping
- Team Schwaller Team Bottcher
- Team Gushue Team Gunnlaugson
- Team Walstad Team De Cruz
- Team S. Thompson Team Walstad
- Team Howard Team Howard
- Team Sturmay Team Schwaller
- Team Ulsrud Team Shuster
- Team Koe Team Ulsrud
- Team Thomas Team Dunstone
- Team van Dorp Team Calvert
- Team Dunstone Team McDonald
- Team Matsumura Team Paterson
- Team Muirhead Team Ruohonen
Team Koe? Outside the Top 14 qualification? How is that possible? It cannot be! They are one of the best teams on tour and deserve a spot in the field. Yup this is the commentary I imagine most of you are saying in your heads right now. And you are not wrong. They are one of the best teams on tour. But they are also the perfect example of scheduling working for or against you.
Koe has played two tour events. Two! They failed to win either, although did reach the final of a #Tour1000 event in Portage. Should a team competing in only two events be rewarded with a #gsoc spot over a team who has played maybe three tour events, collected a title and also has a #Tour1000 finals appearance (see Team S. Thompson)? Or comparison to a team who has played 5 tour events, qualified in each, including playing in three #Tour1000 events with a championship win, SF and QF (see Team McDonald)?
Overall the Top 14 are very similar. Again the numbers next to the names may be slightly different but the qualification field is relatively equal. The #TwineTime field would include Team McDonald, Team Thompson, Team Sturmay and Team Ulsrud while the actual #OOM field would include Team Koe, Team Mouat, Team Gunnlaugson and Team Shuster. Side note, weird how the blog qualification actually works against two #TwineTimeFam members, Bruce Mouat and Jason Gunnlaugson. Sorry boys!
For the four teams included in the #OOM, only Koe remains in the #TwineTime Top 20 within striking distance. Team Gunnlaugson is currently sitting #27, Mouat #28 and Shuster #33. With all due respect to Team Mouat and Team Shuster, do we really feel these two teams are more deserving of a #gsoc invite right now over Team McDonald or Team Thompson or Team Sturmay?
Speaking of Team Sturmay, here is a perfect example of teams playing their way into a field under the #TwineTime model. Strong consistent results are rewarded. Sturmay has played three events this season, winning a #Tour250 title in Edmonton, reaching a #Tour1000 SF in Portage and another SF this past weekend at the #Tour500 event in Medicine Hat. Prior to the result in Medicine Hat the team was sitting in #19, the bad side of the bubble. The SF result moved them up to #13 and into a qualification spot. They have played their way onto the #gsoc ice....for now anyway!
If this were the cut-off date and we were using the #TwineTime model, Sturmay's result would have dropped Koe off the invite list. However, we would assume Koe would actually be provided the sponsor's exemption here. No way the #gsoc would host an event with Koe in the field. So Sturmay's result would actually steal a spot from who? First guess would be Greg Smith. He is the current Newfoundland champion and would be the best suited to earn the sponsor exemption into this field on home ice. While the team is hovering around the Top 100 on the #TwineTime ranking, they have only played two events, both #Tour1000 events btw, and just came up short in qualifying. You would be hard pressed to find another team deserving of the exemption invite if it is decided to go local.
The men have slight differences between who is on the bubble and who is above the cut-line. What about the women?
WOMEN
#TwineTime #OOM
- Team Einarson Team Hasselborg
- Team Kovaleva Team Jones
- Team Hasselborg Team Homan
- Team Tirinzoni Team Einarson
- Team Yoshimura Team Tirinzoni
- Team Wrana Team Fleury
- Team Jones Team Walker
- Team Carey Team Muirhead
- Team Rocque Team Fujisawa
- Team Sidorova Team Sinclair
- Team Robertson Team Scheidegger
- Team Scheidegger Team Robertson
- Team Hegner Team Roth
- Team Fujisawa Team Kim
- Team Homan Team Sidorova
- Team Stern Team Wrana
- Team Gim Team Flaxey
- Team Brown Team Carey
- Team Gushulak Team Yoshimura
- Team Feltscher Team Harrison
Let me guess what you are all saying after a first read: "Team Homan below the cut line?" See Team Koe above would be my response. Homan has played two events as well, including the opening #gsoc where they reached the SF. They also reached the SF in their other event, the #Tour1000 Autumn Gold in Calgary. But is that doing "enough" to earn a #gsoc spot?
The bigger question should be: "What about Team Kovaleva?" They are not even on the Top 20 #OOM list, currently sitting #23 and nowhere close to earning a #gsoc invite. Here is where we see the difference between the two systems. Can anyone really debate Team Kovaleva's results this season and say they are not competing as one of the Top 14 or Top 10 or Top 5 on tour? They have two titles, a #Tour1000 and #Tour500. They have a SF finish at the #Tour500 in Edmonton at the beginning of the season and a QF appearance at the second #Tour1000 event in Calgary. They are 23-7 on the season and own victories over current Top 20 #OOM teams Walker, Fujisawa, Homan, Sinclair and Jones. Those 7 losses? They include two to Scheidegger and one to Homan. Yet under the current system they sit well outside even the bubble for an invite. Seems wrong, no?
Overall, we have a difference on half the field between #TwineTime and #OOM. Very different from the men's breakdown. The #TwineTime system would hand out invites right now to Kovaleva, Yoshimura, Wrana, Carey, Rocque, Sidorova and Hegner. Meanwhile the #OOM invites would go to Homan, Fleury, Walker, Muirhead, Sinclair, Roth and Kim. You tell me which batch of 7 has a stronger case for a #gsoc golden ticket invite? Again, all due respect here, but Fleury, Walker, Sinclair and Roth over Kovaleva, Yoshimura, Wrana and Carey? #ComeOn! Is this not the supporting the argument this blog has been making for years now? Qualify for a few slams and it is almost impossible to play your way off the ice to open a draw spot for someone else. Sure Team Sinclair won a slam last season BUT what have you done for me lately? Team Roth? If anyone thinks they deserve a spot in NL over Team Kovaleva and/or Team Yoshimura, please share your rationale.
Now we should also point out there are still two weeks of events left to be played for teams to either solidify their #gsoc ticket or play their way off the bubble, in a good way or a bad way of course. Results will speak for themselves I think.
Of course we have a slam event this week so those teams competing have a HUGE advantage to pad their ranking points and move up the ranking mountain to keep their #gsoc spots. But we also have numerous big tour events coming up.
For the women, over the next two weeks we will see 1 #Tour1000, 1 #Tour500 and 6 #Tour250 events take place. For the men, we will see 1 #Tour1000, 2 #Tour500 and 6 #Tour250 events. Lots of points on the ice for teams looking to punch those #gsoc tickets.
#StayTuned
Oh yeah and about that upcoming slam event this week, the #TwineTime blog preview will be sliding out of my hack and into your house soon.
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