Canada was alone at the top of the standings with 5-0 after its only game on Monday. Gushue, Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker from St. John’s, NL, will face Germany on Tuesday. Four victories in the opening weekend increased Canada’s record, but the bypass considered it a matter of white matter compared to Monday’s decisive victory over the Italians. “Comfort level is increasing,” Gushue said. “I thought the ice was much better than it was in the first four games. We had better control of the weight of the tie that allowed us to adjust and score a lot of points.” Canada scored two in the second end and three in the quarter to lead 5-2. After Gushue stole a combined three-pointer at the seventh and eighth ends, Joel Retornaz conceded. The stones of the World Championship in Las Vegas belong to the World Curling Federation and were used in the past in the World Tour Curling. Granite is not as vibrant as the stones at last month’s Canadian Men’s Curling Championships in Lethbridge, Alta, where Gushue and his team won their fourth national title. Gushue, Gallant and Walker played as a three-man team last weekend because Nichols had COVID-19. The Orleans Arena ice was built and maintained by U.S. ice cream maker Curling Shawn Olesen, and Canadian teams are less familiar with the product. “These ice conditions, we will not be able to play at the level we played in Lethbridge or Saskatoon in the Olympics, just because it is not favorable,” Gushue said. “I do not know if we will ever get to 10 out of 10. We have to accept that we will have a few more failures. An 80 or 85 percent game is very good. Here in Lethbridge, you want to curl up 90 or 95 percent. “With these failures you want to try to limit the damage you do. So far we have done a good job with that.” The top six teams at the end of the round robin on Friday advance to the playoffs, with the first two saying goodbye to the semifinals. The Seeds three to six play on Saturday to advance to the semifinals that night. The medal races are Sunday. Gushue and Retornaz miss two of the three teams competing in the World Cup after participating in the February Olympics. Sweden’s Niklas Edin won gold, Gushue won bronze and Retornaz won 3-6 in Beijing. Five-time world champion Edin lost two of his first four in Las Vegas to find himself in a nine-nation tie at 2-2 with a draw remaining on Monday night. Returnaz was the only one on the field with a shooting accuracy of over 80 percent in Monday’s game against Canada. Amos Mosaner’s third won gold at the mixed doubles Olympics with Stefania Constantini. But Nichols far outstripped Mosaner in his 98th place in the 73rd, which gave Gushue easier shots and Retornaz lower shots. “In the first four games, I felt like every shot I took was on a new path and a hard shot,” Gushue said. “Today they left me some easy ones and I was able to execute them, with the exception of one there in the fifth end. “They are a very talented team and they will be close to the end of the week. The first four games, everything could have gone any way. We were lucky to get them out. We did some very nice shots at the end of the last pair. “I think this only comes from experience and the fact that we played in a lot of great moments. We did not get the kind of nervousness you can have when you play in the 10th end of a World Cup match. We played well in these situations.” Gushue won the 2017 World Championships in Edmonton, followed by a second result the following year in Las Vegas. His team could not compete in the 2020 World Cup in Glasgow, Scotland, because it was canceled due to COVID-19. The Orleans Arena is next to the hotel and casino, and the location is one and a half miles west of Vegas Avenue. Gushue felt that his team did not have enough mental rest from the tournament environment four years ago while living in Orleans, so he and his teammates are living away from home this time. “We got out of the bowl,” said the skip. “We have learned from this experience, and so far, it has been a much better experience for us off the ice. “I think we are in a much better place, much more relaxed and we can get out of the game, which is nice, especially last year. “It seems we have not missed the game in months.” This Canadian Press report was first published on April 4, 2022.
