National Post (National Edition)
Canadians face double dose of difficulty at worlds
Jones sure to be tested by Sweden and South Korea
It’s quite appropriate that Canada will play the Olympic gold and silver medallists on what’s commonly known as “hump day.”
The potential is there for the home team to take a hard slide one way or another in the World Women’s Curling Championship standings.
Emerging from Wednesday with losses to Sweden (7 p.m. ET) and South Korea (2 p.m. ET) would damage Jennifer Jones’ chances of finishing the round robin in a Top 2 spot, which carries an automatic berth into a semifinal.
Winding up anywhere else in the Top 6 means playing a qualification showdown Saturday morning (3 vs. 6, 4 vs. 5) and the possibility of an early exit, minus a medal.
The new playoff format for the 13-team event does not include the traditional tiebreaker games.
Deadlocks will be decided by head-to-head meetings and, if the teams are still tied, the same method that determines who has hammer in the first end — a draw to the button.
“It really then just comes down to a skills contest,” said Jones. “I don’t like how the women’s gold medal (hockey) game ended at the Olympics, in a shootout, and that reminds me of it. So I don’t like it.”
Heading into Tuesday night’s draw, Sweden (60), Canada (5-0) and Korea (4-1) were the only teams with fewer than two losses.
Jones was unaware of the schedule past Tuesday night’s game against 1-5 Scotland.
“It’s a big day if we play both (Sweden and Korea), just because they’re in the hunt here,” she said.
“But really, we just want to make sure we get a foot in the door of the playoffs, and so far we’ve been heading in that right direction.”
Canada had its hands full with Denmark (1-4) in Tuesday’s morning draw until scoring four in the eighth for a 10-5 victory.
“We made a couple of good shots and it worked out well for us, but yeah, it was a little bit back and forth,” said second Jill Officer.
“I think there’s a few shots we’d all like back. I think we’re going to have to make sure we’re still continuing to try to get sharper.”
The loss didn’t wipe the ever-present smile off the faces of the Denmark girls, who arrived here with modest/realistic expectations.
“I would be happy if we win one or two or three games,” said skip Angelina Jensen. “That would be really high. We are normally curlers who play curling, and work next to it. We have a busy life at home. Most of the people here, they are fulltime curlers. If we can get a few wins we will be extremely happy.”
Until the last two ends it looked like they might pick up one against Canada.
“I actually felt that the girls played awesome,” said Jensen. “They were really, really on this game, and everybody was ready for the morning. Unfortunately, we didn’t hold it the whole way.”
There was no easing into the round robin for Denmark, which on Day 1 faced a Swedish team that stood atop the Olympic podium in Pyeongchang a month earlier. Predictably, the Swedes prevailed 8-2.
Asked to compare the Olympic gold medal winners to Canada, Jensen provided a diplomatic response.
“They are both really, really good teams,” she said.
“I cannot say who is best, if that is what you want. I really think both of them are really really good curler players.
“For us, in the first game against Sweden, to be honest we were a little bit like ‘OK, we just landed.’ But I have to say both of the teams are amazing.”
Pressed for a prediction on Wednesday night’s marquee game, Jensen laughed.
“I’m not going to tell you what I think. Nooooo,” she said. “I think it could go both ways. I see four extremely good throwers on both teams. So I would not put money on who would win. That I would not do.”
Jones wouldn’t offer up an assessment on either Sweden or Korea, primarily because she did not see their Olympic showdown.
You’d think beating both on Wednesday would provide some inner satisfaction for Jones, who is still haunted by a loss to Rachel Homan in the December trials that prevented her the opportunity of defending the gold she won at the 2014 Sochi Games.
“That was hugely disappointing,” said Jones. “It’s something we’re still talking about. It stings a little bit.”