Canada skip Gushue looks back on team meeting that put St. John’s rink in flight

Sometimes a loss can do wonders for a team. In Brad Gushue’s case, one defeat in particular helped propel his rink on a spectacular run.

The weight of being hometown favourites at last month’s Tim Hortons Brier in St. John’s was having an obvious effect.

Gushue’s team was noticeably flat in the early going. Normal pre-shot processes were breaking down. The top-ranked team in the country was on the verge of playing itself out of contention.

An 8-4 loss to Jamie Koe of the Northwest Territories was the last straw. Gushue called a team meeting with Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker after the game.

Coach Jules Owchar said the skip was diplomatic, but pointed out something was wrong and that the focus wasn’t there.

“Everybody expressed their views, they agreed, and that was just enough,’’ Owchar said. “There was no finger-pointing or anything like that. The three of them knew that they had to pick it up.’’

That meeting kickstarted a run of eight straight victories and gave them their first national men’s title. The momentum has carried over to this week’s Ford World Men’s Curling Championship.

Gushue won all 11 roundrobin games at the Northlands Coliseum, most of them in blowout fashion. He earned the top seed for Friday night’s Page playoff 1-2 game against Sweden’s Niklas Edin.

It’s a run of stellar form that was triggered by the steps taken after the Koe loss a month ago.

“(Gushue) saved us the first four or five games (at the Brier), we could have been 1-and-4,’’ Owchar said. “The guys I think sort of had stage fright.’’

Gushue looks back on it now as a definitive turning point. The meeting was key, as was the last stone draw before his game against Northern Ontario’s Brad Jacobs later that day.

“What came out of that shot, was what came out of that meeting,’’ Gushue said Friday.

Jacobs covered most of the pin with his throw but the Newfoundland and Labrador stone stopped just a few millimetres inside it to get hammer. A 7-5 victory followed and Gushue improved to 4-2.

“We were totally engaged on it and put it to 1.4 centimetres to win that draw to the button,’’ Gushue said. “I could see it in the guys after I did that — they lit up. From there on in, we were so engaged in every shot and we have been this week (too).’’

The team had regained its edge. The players were no longer uptight. They started engaging with the adoring crowds at Mile One Centre instead of being worried.

The United States and Switzerland will meet in the Page playoff 3-4 game on Saturday. The medal games are scheduled for Sunday.