Frankly, I was torn. Both Manitoba teams - both with one import player (NB. Homan now has 2 imports, both of which she poached)
Felt devastated for Lawes even though my premonition of her being unable to conjure up the great rock position came to haunt her. She missed her last 2 bricks plain ‘n simple, by millimets but she was 0% in the extra end.
Einarson is a wildly erratic performer but she came thru with the big shots when they counted. The angle raise to the button to send the game into OT - then two beauty guards that forced Kaitlyn to be super-exacting (not her specialty).
Felt really bad for Laura Walker who was a superstar subbing in for the usually morose Joss Peterman. Walker not only made a ton of shots - she uplifted a usually sombre and unemotional team.
Felt great again for Val Sweeting & Birchard (the superstar) who won her sixth Scotties (one as Jennifer Jones’ 3rd). Karlee Burgess will no doubt be a skip one day. And no matter how much we see how Einarson’s nerves sometimes get the better of her - she displayed courage in the face of adversity tonite.
Mixed doubles is often a pig scramble, especially internationally. While Gallant is a superb tosser of the first 5 stones, Peterman, a non-skip has challenges when it comes to closing out ends. Think Kaitlyn Lawes, only far worse. They’ll make playoffs no doubt - but its a coin flip after that. Peterman did her ladies skip Lawes a solid by going off to the Olympics, allowing the peppy and shot-solid Laura Walker to step in and almost put Kaitlyn Lawes over the top at the Scotties.