The Page 1-2 Playoff: Second Half

End 6. A couple of NL rocks drifted a bit deep, and MN froze to them. NL will have to work to score more than one. With his first stone, Gushue draws to the back of the button, too deep. Stoughton freezes to it and is shot rock on the button. Gushue will struggle even to score as a result. A long angle take-out attempt removes both a MN and a NL rock, giving MN a steal of one. Tied at 3.

End 7. TSN missed the first four rocks. Linda describes this end as the race to the button, with a centre guard and five stones in front of the t-line. Slight miss by Nichols allows Mead to double off the remaining rocks in the house. Nichols draws, Stoughton freezes but bumps open a bit. Gushue hits it and rolls behind the guard. Stoughton hits and rolls off one, leaving a hit and roll for two. NL 5, MN 3.

End 8. A picket fence set up by NL behind the t-Line which will provide backing for future shots. Stoughton draws for 2 to tie things up again.

End 9. MN has four in the rings, but NL has a chance to hit one and roll behind cover. Things seem tense between Fry and Gushue on NL, and Nichols isn't shooting all that well. It's impressive that NL has managed to stay in the game. So MN puts two in the top of the button and has two in the back of the rings as backing. Stoughton puts up a centre guard, and Gushue tries to double off the two centre guards but gets only one. MN guards again and is in good position to steal at least one. Gushue draws to the button but still gives up a steal of one. So MN is up 6-5 and NL has the hammer coming home.

End 10. Draw to the button by MN; corner guard by NL; centre guard by MN; freeze to the rock on the button by NL. What Alan refers to as the standard opening. Big difference in curling percentages with MN curling much more accurately than NL, and to add to the problems of NL, Fry rubs on a guard out front.

Mead puts up another centre guard, so MN has 3 guards. Nichols tries to draw around the guards and rubs, so NL is in big trouble. MN has the shot rock, but a triple tap would let NL score one. Nichols peels only one guard, and Stoughton overcurls with a guard. Gushue tries a money shot, shakes up lots of rocks and might even have shot rock. Stoughton guards; Gushue tries a magical draw that doesn't move enough. Now to measure to see who is shot. NL scores one, so we have an extra end.

End 11. Check out the curling percentages: 90% for MN; and only 78% for NL. As I said earlier, NL is truly lucky to still be in the game.

NL puts up two centre guards, and Gould (aka "Tick-man") moves them off centre. The guard-peel dance begins. NL draws in when they get to skips' stones with an excellent shot. MN peels a guard. Gushue tries to split the top 4', but he's about a foot too deep, leaving a draw with backing for Stoughton. He lands on the button, needing no backing, and MN wins 7-6.

So NL faces the winner of the AB-ON game tomorrow.