NHL Highlights: Flyers 3, Maple Leafs 2 (SO) — and more

This week was always going to be about Brad Gushue playing his final Brier in his hometown of St. John’s, trying to win his record seventh Brier tankard in the place he won his first back in 2017. 

However, it is nice to think about the future sometimes…

The folks of Newfoundland and Labrador got that on Monday night as Gushue took on his prodigy, Nathan Young, in an all-province showdown.

Despite the fact that both teams were technically the ‘good guys’ in the fans’ eyes, it was clear Gushue was receiving more love from the hometown, as expected.

Early on, however, the crowd had to give Young his props, given what he was doing against Gushue. In the first end, Young made a clutch draw to the pin against two to earn a single. 

In the second end, Gushue was set up to score five, but Young made a double runback double takeout while lying buried, so Gushue could only score two. 

Young’s hot start continued for the next two ends as well. He earned a deuce of his own in the third while forcing Gushue to a single in the fourth end to be tied 3-3.

The fifth end is when the experience that only a team like Gushue has with Mark Nichols, Brendan Bottcher and Geoff Walker took over. Gushue made a nice shot with his last, and Young gave up a steal of two. 

From there, the momentum changed, and Gushue’s team played outstandingly in the second half to earn the 8-5 victory in just nine ends. As a team, they shot 90 per cent.

Even though Young is in his third Brier (thanks to Gushue wearing the Maple Leaf for a couple years), he’s still the youngest skip in the field at 23. 

Obviously, nobody expects Young to have the same career path as Gushue, but it’s safe to say the future of curling on The Rock is in fine hands.

Jacobs is picking apart his opponents 

You have to feel for the rookie squad from Ontario in Jayden King. After facing the six-time Brier champion Gushue on Sunday, where his team lost 8-4, he had to get back on the ice to face the defending Brier and Olympic champion, Canada’s Team Brad Jacobs, on Monday morning. 

Jacobs, who, as a team, is looking more like the champions of the world with each day, sensed the situation King and his teammates were facing and went to work right away. In the first end, Canada easily converted with the hammer to score their deuce and jump out to an early lead. 

Even though Ontario had the hammer for the next five ends, it never really felt that way. Jacobs and his teammates, Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert, made what felt like every shot, leaving Ontario chasing, much like their game against Gushue. 

After a steal and two blanks, Canada had a 3-0 advantage going into the fifth end. This is when the game fell apart for King, while for Jacobs, a piece of cake.   

With his final shot of the end, Jacobs made a sweet hit and roll to get perfectly buried and sit right on the button.

“That felt too easy,” Jacobs said, sliding the down sheet to his teammates to complement the ice they were playing on during the broadcast.

Canada ended up with a steal of three after King missed his final shot. Just to look at King’s stats and see he shot 63 per cent, doesn’t really do him justice. The level of difficulty he was facing when shooting, thanks to Canada playing a near-perfect game, shouldn’t go unrecognized.

Now at 4-0 on the week, it becomes harder to see a world where Jacobs doesn’t repeat as the champion this year.  

Nova Scotia loses game on weird decision

When Nova Scotia’s skip, Kendal Thompson, lies his head down on his pillow Monday night, he will still be thinking of the decision he made in the 10th end versus Quebec that cost him the game.

Nova Scotia was down 6-5 with the hammer, and after Quebec’s fourth-stone thrower, Felix Asselin, was heavy on his draw that landed in the back eight-foot, Thompson had two choices to earn his single to force an extra end. Either draw to the backing or play a soft-weight takeout. 

He chose neither. Instead, Thompson decided to get greedy and go for the win by scoring two. He attempted to play a thin triple takeout but flashed the shot anyway and gave up a steal of two to lose 8-5. To be honest, if Thompson hit the rock in the right spot, the angles didn’t look like the shot was there.

What’s more interesting is the fact that Thompson’s teammates, Stuart Thompson, Bryce Everist and Michael Brophy, seemed to agree with the decision rather than trying to change his mind. 

The result was massive as well. If Thompson had won, Nova Scotia would have been tied in the standings at 2-2. Now Thompson is 1-3, and Quebec is 3-1.

Pools separating contenders and pretenders

We’re at the midway point for round-robin play at this year’s Brier, and the contenders are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the competition.

In Pool A, it’s as expected. Both Brads (Gushue and Jacobs) remain undefeated at 4-0 and will probably stay that way until they face each other on Thursday afternoon in their round-robin finale. The third spot was always going to be interesting, and it looks to be a two-team race at this point. Quebec is 3-1, while Ontario is 3-2. Quebec still needs to face Jacobs, while King has already faced both Brads. 

When Ontario and Quebec face off on Wednesday, that will most likely decide the final playoff spot.

Meanwhile, in Pool B, it’s the veteran from Alberta, Kevin Koe, who’s been the most shocking so far, sitting at 3-0. Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone (3-0) and Saskatchewan’s Mike McEwen (3-1) are also holding down playoff spots at the moment. 

It feels like the only other team in the pool that has a chance is Manitoba’s Braden Calvert (2-1), but he still needs to face Dunstone and McEwen.

More from Sportsnet

Jacobs, Dunstone stay undefeated through four matches at Brier

Brier Takeaways: Ontario’s Jayden King earns respect from curling legends

Mar. 2—SHAWNEE, Kan. — The Bemidji State softball team faced a host of traditional regional qualifiers at the Top Gun Midwest College Classic in Shawnee, Kansas, over the weekend.

The Beavers went 1-3, picking up a 10-3 win over Newman before losing their final three games. BSu lost 9-3 against Washburn, 7-0 against Missouri Western and 6-1 against Central Missouri.

All four games were complete in seven innings. Bemidji State's final two games with Emporia State and Fort Hays State were canceled due to weather.

Bemidji State (3-11) hits the road for the Space Coast Spring Games in Melbourne, Florida, March 6-11, before commencing NSIC play on March 21 at home against Augustana.

Bemidji State 10, Newman 3

BSU 111 520 0 — 10-15-1

NEW 000 210 0 — 2-6-2

WP: Sarff (4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 K)

LP: DeCorte (3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K)

Washburn 9, Bemidji State 3

WSH 011 052 0 — 9-15-1

BSU 000 300 0 — 3-10-2

WP: Lavers (3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K)

LP: Klusman (4.2 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K)

Missouri Western 7, Bemidji State 0

BSU 000 000 0 — 0-4-1

MW 041 011 X — 7-9-0

WP: Finarty (7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K)

LP: Sarff (1.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K)

Central Missouri 6, Bemidji State 1

CMU 200 010 3 — 6-8-2

BSU 100 000 0 — 1-3-3

WP: Duscheneaux (6.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K)

LP: Klusman (6.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K)

Will Buxton adores Pato O'Ward, but he might not agree with the No. 5 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren driver. O'Ward opposed the idea of doubleheader weekends — events that hold both INDYCAR and NASCAR at the same venue, in the same time frame. "Tired of INDYCAR being treated like a support race," O'Ward said. "INDYCAR shouldn't become a sideshow." That's often what happens when there are doubleheaders at places like St. Petersburg, which hosted the INDYCAR season opener on Sunday morning and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Saturday. Plus, there's this weekend at Phoenix Raceway, with INDYCAR's Good Ranchers 250 on Saturday (3 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app) and NASCAR's Straight Talk Wireless 500 on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). However, Buxton, the FOX Sports INDYCAR play-by-play announcer, sees these doubleheaders as an "opportunity." "An opportunity for INDYCAR fans to fall in love with NASCAR and for NASCAR fans to fall in love with INDYCAR," Buxton said on Monday's episode of "SPEED With Harvick And Buxton." "[It's] for race fans in both camps to gain a new understanding and a new respect for championships which they might never have watched, or always believed that they shouldn't. Want people to remember you? Play the best damn gig of your life. INDYCAR simply has to do what it does best, and that's be the fastest racing on earth. That's how you make fans. And that's how INDYCAR becomes the headliner." "Look, I love Pato," Buxton added. "I love that he's honest, and he speaks from the heart. And while I know exactly where he's coming from, I think there's a bigger picture to look at here." [INDYCAR OPENER: 4 Takeaways From Alex Palou's Victory at St. Pete] Double-headers mean more eyeballs, more fans, more chances for Tyler Reddick fans to fall in love with Alex Palou and vice versa. "INDYCAR and NASCAR double headers are a great idea, because it shouldn't be about anyone other than the fans," Buxton said. "It has to be about what's right for them, and how the championship can maximize welcoming new fans to a racing product that we all adore. And the best way to do that is to simply get on with what INDYCAR does the best: putting on a show. The fastest racing on earth." INDYCAR will have the platform to do that this weekend at Phoenix.