Edin tops Mouat to earn Players’ Championship playoff spot
TORONTO — It was a good morning for Niklas Edin at the Players’ Championship.
The reigning world champion from Sweden continued his strong play scoring a 6-3 victory Friday over Scotland’s Bruce Mouat to qualify for the playoffs.
Edin, who just earned the world title Sunday in Las Vegas, raced out to a three-ender in the first, limited Mouat to one in the second, and hit for two in the third to hold an early 5-1 lead.
Mouat was held to just one in the fourth and Edin matched with a single in five to re-establish the four-point gap. The worlds bronze medallist Mouat was forced to draw for yet another lone point in the sixth and shook hands early.
Team Edin improved to a 3-1 record to punch their playoff ticket in their Players’ Championship title defence with one round-robin game remaining later in the day against Brad Jacobs’s crew from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
Team Mouat wrapped up round-robin play with a 2-3 record and will be in the mix for tiebreakers.
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Elsewhere in Draw 10, Kevin Koe’s Calgary-based crew climbed to a 4-0 record following a 6-5 win over Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers (1-3).
Koe fell ill during the third end and the team carried on as a trio with lead Ben Hebert and second Brent Laing throwing an extra rock each. Third Marc Kennedy handled skip duties and drew for the win in the eighth end.
Koe finishes round-robin action playing Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher while Carruthers must win his last against world silver medallist Brad Gushue (3-1) of St. John’s, N.L., in Draw 12.
Winnipeg’s Jason Gunnlaugson is also through to the playoffs at 3-2 following a 5-3 win over Scotland’s Kyle Smith (2-2). Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen (2-2) meets Smith in Draw 12.
American John Shuster scored five in the first and stole one in the second during a 9-4 victory versus Bottcher (1-3). Shuster, the reigning Olympic gold medallist, drew level to a 2-2 record and takes on Toronto’s John Epping (1-3) in Draw 12. Vice Tyler George is skipping the team this week with Shuster switching to third.
The Players’ Championship features 12 of the top men’s teams and 12 of the top women’s teams in the world. Teams are split into two pools for round-robin play with the best eight overall qualifying for the weekend playoffs.
The GSOC’s Bonus Cup, awarded to the season men’s and women’s champions, will also be handed out following the conclusion of the Players’ Championship. Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones already clinched the women’s title.
Round-robin action continues at Noon ET with television coverage on Sportsnet plus online streaming at Sportsnet NOW (Canada) and Yare TV (international).
