Brier playoff picture

by Jill Officer

WINNIPEG – It’s been the best draw to watch so far this week at the Brier with four curling teams – one on each sheet this afternoon – fighting for their lives.

• B.C. fighting for their life against N.B...
• NFLD/LAB fighting against P.E.I;
• Saskatchewan fighting (er, OK, not quite for their lives) against Northern Ontario;
• Manitoba fighting against Quebec!

Each game was a one-point match heading into the 10th end with the exception of the Manitoba game, where Quebec conceded after nine.

And so…

• B.C. won, meaning they are guaranteed a tiebreaker;
• Newfoundland won, meaning they are in the same position as B.C...
• Saskatchewan lost, meaning Pat Simmons (photo above) and co. have to win tonight if they really want to be in that all-important Page playoff 1 vs 2 game… it means you get two legs in the playoffs, you know!

So here’s the deal for tonight’s games:

If Manitoba wins, they will be in a three-way tie with the Newfies and B.C. But with Manitoba playing against Saskatchewan, it could mean the difference between the 1 vs 2 game or the 3 vs 4 game for the Green Machine.

And this is what we know:

• Alberta is in the 1 vs 2 game.
• Saskatchewan and Ontario are into the playoffs.
• B.C. and Newfoundland will battle each other in a tiebreaker, and you could add Manitoba to that mix if the Kerry Burtnyk squad can win tonight.

Got your head around this yet? I’m not sure I do... but it’s gonna be a whale of a curling show tonight on Brier Thursday Night!