News Tour Challenge

REGINA — Another day, another perfect game for Brad Gushue.

The reigning world champion from St. John’s, N.L., threw 100 per cent for the second consecutive night to earn a convincing 6-1 victory over American John Shuster in Draw 6 Wednesday at the Tour Challenge Tier 1.

Gushue (2-0) started out playing the waiting game blanking the first couple of ends before cracking the scoreboard with a deuce in the third.

The 2006 Olympic gold medallist Gushue limited Shuster to just a single in the fourth and then broke the game wide open with a four count in the sixth for early handshakes.

“It was very defensive,” Gushue said. “I think the ice was a little bit slow to start out so both teams were hesitant to get a bunch of rocks in play. I had the opportunity to wear in the ice and get more comfortable with it. We really controlled it, got a good two in the third end and then got the force and obviously blew it open there in the sixth with the four. I thought our team played well. We handled the ice as good as we could.”

Gushue added that it was a very strategic game and it didn’t feel like his team had to push it to start as they waited for the right moment to put it away.

“The first couple ends I was happy they were open just because the ice was really slow in practice and it gave it a chance to get a little bit quicker and more consistent,” he said. “In the third we had the opportunity to go for it and we did and we were able to get the deuce.”

Shuster holds a 1-1 record.

Elsewhere in Draw 6, Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock slipped past Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers 7-6 in an extra end.

Carruthers (0-2) took control early with a three-ender in the first. Laycock (2-0) chipped away with a single in two and a steal of one in four.

After Carruthers counted a couple in five, Laycock finally made his move into the lead scoring a deuce in six and stealing a pair in seven when Carruthers came up light on the draw.

A single in eight forced the extra, but Laycock didn’t need to throw his last as Carruthers was unable to set up a steal situation with his final rock.

“We had a little tough luck in the first but it was nice we were able to keep grinding away and grinding away,” Team Laycock third Kirk Muyres said. “It was actually a pretty good game on both sides but the big part is we’ve been really working at grinding away and that was the truest test when you give up a dirty three in the first and don’t even play that bad.

“You always want the win and it would’ve sucked to lose but the fact we were able to grind our way back into that game, that’s really what we want to train toward.”

Muyres added it’s awesome playing in front of a full crowd of home-province fans.

“I’m biased but I don’t think anyone would argue that playing in Saskatchewan is the best ever and again here it’s no different. It’s a full house on Tuesday and Wednesday nights already and people are cheering for you,” Muyres said. “It’s unreal. There’s nothing better than playing at home in Saskatchewan.”

Toronto’s John Epping also improved to 2-0 following a 7-4 win over American Heath McCormick (1-1).

Calgary’s Kevin Koe scored a deuce in the first, stole a pair in the second and rolled out to a 6-1 win over Peter de Cruz of Switzerland. Both teams are level at 1-1 records.

Sweden’s Niklas Edin topped Scotland’s Kyle Smith 9-5 in a repeat of last year’s Tour Challenge Tier 1 men’s final. Edin is at 1-1 while Smith is 0-2.

TIER 2

Edmonton’s Charley Thomas scored three in the eighth to edge Adam Casey’s team from Regina 9-7. Both teams now have 1-1 records.

Winnipeg’s William Lyburn and Jason Gunnlaugson also moved up to 2-0 records. Lyburn topped American Craig Brown 6-2 and Gunnlaugson pulled off a 7-2 victory over Scotland’s Greg Drummond. Brown is even at 1-1 while Drummond dropped to 0-2.

Saskatoon’s Colton Flasch (1-1) picked up a 4-2 win over Dayna Deruelle (0-2) of Kingston, Ont.

In the lone Tier 2 women’s game, Binia Feltscher of Switzerland defeated Robyn Silvernagle of North Battleford, Sask., 7-5. Feltscher holds a 2-0 record while Silvernagle is at 1-1.

NOTES

The Tour Challenge is the season-opening event of the 2017-18 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling calendar and runs through to Sunday at the Co-operators Centre at Evraz Place. … TV coverage begins Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet. … Winners of the Tier 1 division receive invites to the season-ending Pinty’s GSOC event, the Humpty’s Champions Cup, running April 24-29 in Calgary. … Winners of the Tier 2 division earn berths to the following Pinty’s GSOC event, the Masters, taking place Oct. 24-29 in Lloydminster, Sask.