The Brier - Draw 13

TSN Appears to be featuring NL-NB and featuring the idea that the elder Howard was on Gushue's team for the Olympics! Both teams are still alive. It is a little shocking not thinking of Gushue as a complete kid.
END #1: NB come into the house first and NL miss the first runback attempt. NB come again into the house, just a tad too deep. Nichols tries for a freeze and wrecks on the guard up front. NB put up a nice guard. Gushue gets rid of some rocks but leaves NB with shot. Howard puts a rock behind cover. Gushue ALMOST gets into a perfect position, nipping on Howard rock but leaving Howard a draw for two. Howard comes up short. 1-0 NB.
END #2: Nichols misses a runback, leaving a NB rock in the house though open. Grattan comes up short but reaches the front of the 12-foot. Nichols hits and rolls into cover in the front of the 4-foot. Howard chips it out with a lovely shot and rolls behind a different guard. Gushue essentially sets a rock on the button. Deeper than he wanted. Howard is heavy, leaving Gushue a draw for two. 2-1 NL.
END #3: NB conceded a steal of 1.
END #4: Howard just misses a double on his first rock, in a runback attempt. NL now thinking they can steal a pile. Gushue puts a rock on the button, a little deeper than wanted. Howard is toying with risk-reward. There is a high-risk triple, and a lower-risk, but not trivial draw for one. His team is arguing that they should take the one if they can get it. Howard agrees. Perfect! The sweepers did their job! (One of them I guess I should describe as the TRULY younger Howard.)
END #5: Very messy house with a pile of NB rocks out front. Nichols is asked to shoot 'heavy-hack' and wrecks (the weight was translated as 'light-bumper' - I love sports lingo). Howard glowers at length at the house. He bumps one of his rocks to shot, very nicely. Gushue blasts and NL lie two. Ray says "This is just great curling". Sure seems so to me. Howard hits, but seems to concede the deuce. Which Gushue takes.
Elsewhere I note that Quebec is up 6-3 over Ontario. Ontario are 7-0 but they have twice had to score 3 in the tenth to win. Mind you they did it.
END #6: NB guards line up vulnerably and NL wipe them off the rink. NB miss a freeze to NL rock in the back of the 8-foot. Removed. Freeze missed again. Removed, with the NL rock in the back of the 8-foot. NL have one in the front of the 8-foot, nothing behind the T-line. Grattan's first rock goes through the house. NL put another into the front 8-foot. NB choose the come-around. It sort of does it. Gushue does not quite freeze but parks right in front of the NB rock. Howard doubles away the NL rocks in the 8-foot. Gushue misses a double abd leaves Howard able to hit for two. Perfect. 5-4 NL.
Meanwhile Alberta go to 8-0, and, bafflingly to me, according to TSN, join Ontario in the playoffs for sure now.
Now I am less baffled - Ontario went to 8-0 this morning - I missed that.
END #7: Two NB rocks in the house behind a NB guard. The really younger Howard was calling opposite to Dad. NL shot removes NB rock and demotes the other and sits shot. Open, though. NB wreck on a guard. Nichols removes the remaining NB rock and rolls into cover.
Stunning to think that Gushue and Nichols are in their late 20s. Wow!
NB shot removes one NL rock but leaves the other still under cover. Talk of a pick.
Nichols is heavy and his latest rock is wide open. Howard aggressively freezes to the covered NL rock. Gushue says "I can freeze too", and is shot. Howard says "Hey I can freeze too!!!" trying to force NL to one. Man what sweeping! Those guys are really tired.
Everybody is laughing. Gushue is trying to nuzzle to his shot rock with a delicate draw. It runs away.
This is SO much fun!
END #8: Grattan tapboack leaves a NL rock still shot. Gushue puts a rock over beside his other on the back edge of the 4-foot. Howard's freeze attempt comes short and is open. NL kicks it out and lie three. Howard now has to draw for one against three. Once again, the sweepers bring it in. Dad Howard is sure making son sweeper Howard work!
END #9: Missed it. Sorry - good L&O episode.
END # 10: 8-5 NL. We will be out of rocks soon.
Meanwhile Quebec beat Ontario! We may see them again - Quebec hanging on the edge at 4-4.
OK this one is over. NL have moved into a strong position.
This is going to be a GREAT weekend.