Team Canada won eight straight to finish off the round robin after an 8-5 win over the United States at the BKT World Men's Curling Championship at Temple Gardens Centre on Friday night.
Canada finished the round robin with a record of 11-1 and will receive the automatic bye into the semifinals on Saturday afternoon.
"I think we know every game from here on in is going to be really, really tough, so we’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing, control what we can control. We control our rocks, and the other ones are going to end up where they are. So, just play our own game and keep it moving. We’re playing really well, so we just want to keep focusing on that," said second Brett Gallant.
Tyler Tardi started the game in place of Ben Hebert at lead due to equipment issues for Canada. However, Hebert returned to the lineup after the first end.
The Americans, with last rock, blanked the first end. Facing five Canadian rocks in the house in the second, American skip Korey Dropkin drew for one to get on the board.
In the third end, Canada skip Brad Jacobs attempted a hit and roll but rolled to become second shot. Dropkin's ensuing draw went heavy, but the Americans were still laying one. With his final rock, Jacobs executed a soft double takeout to move the American rock far enough to count two.
A big draw by Jacobs with his last rock of the fourth end forced Dropkin to draw to the side of the button. However, the draw was heavy, and Canada stole one.
Dropkin, with his first rock, came up light on a freeze, opening the door for Canada for a possible steal. Jacobs drew under cover to lay two. Dropkin, with the last rock, found the button to score one, making it 3-2 for Canada at the fifth-end break.
Jacobs, with his first in the sixth, made a hit and roll corner frozen on an American stone in the 12-foot. With his last rock, Jacobs played a tap-back for two.
In the seventh, Jacobs played in off his own rock to remove the lone American rock in the house with his first rock. Dropkin curled behind cover with his first. However, Jacobs was able to tap it out, leaving Dropkin an open hit for one to make the score 5-3 in favour of Canada.
Marc Kennedy, with his last rock in the eighth end for Canada, made a triple run-back double takeout to clear all of the American rocks out of the house, with Canada holding the hammer. That shot led directly to a blank end.
With Canada laying three with the hammer in the ninth end, Dropkin tried to draw to get shot rock but was heavy. Jacobs had a hit-and-stick for three to make the final 8-3.
It doesn't get much easier from here in the playoffs. Saturday morning, Sweden and Scotland will face off in the qualification game, with the winner to face Canada in the semifinals. Regardless of the outcome, Canada will be playing for a medal, whether it is gold or bronze.
"We’ve got two big games that we’ve got to take care of in the playoffs here. It’s one shot at a time, one game at a time, yes, but we were on Sheet C tonight—a great surface against a great team," said Jacobs.
"We out-curled them, our opponent, and whether we’re playing in the bronze medal game or we’re playing in the gold medal game, that game is on that sheet. I think we did a really good job getting a map of that sheet tonight."
On the other side of the bracket, China will face Norway in the qualification game, with the winner facing Switzerland in the semis.
In other action
China stole points in the sixth, seventh, and eighth ends to defeat Scotland 9-2, knocking the Scots down to the fifth seed heading into the playoffs.
Sweden was able to hold on in a tight game with Norway, picking up a 6-4 win.
Finally, Switzerland was efficient with the hammer, scoring deuces with last rock and stealing a point in the fifth end to defeat Korea 9-5.