misty1
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Registered: Sep 2011
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2019 national championships
this thread is to discuss scotties and brier 2019. figure i'd create a thread to discuss both.
first up , of course the scotties.
quite obviously the favorite is rachel homan. jenniffer jones will be the main threat. einarson or scheidegger(whichever one gets through) could contend but fleury and silvernagle look dangerous as well.
my thoughts overall:
ontario - as i said, rachel homan. based off form coming in you'd be hard pressed to find someone who could stiop them but this game isnt played on paper and there are teams here who could stop her if they arent sharp
canada - the 2nd favorite for the title. they have looked average most of the season but its a major event and you cant ever count jones out. wouldnt surprise me to see her win it all again. biggest threat to homan if they're on form
manitoba - not a great season but fleury gets better every time she gets to the scotties. this team is a real threat for the title
wildcard - whether it's scheidegger or einarson this team will be strong. scheidegger has, for the most part had a season to forget and underwhelmed in provincials but we know how good they are when they're on. einarson is funny had a very good season but underwhelmed in more than one of the big events. they should contend if they get through.
alberta - not strong enough for contender status outright. they have had some good results but i think they're a little behind the top 4
saskatchewan - silvernagle has been knocking on the door in saskatchewan for a while . the question will be how a mostly rookie team handles the event but stefanie has tons of experience and this team could sneak into the weekend if they handle the nerves
northern ontario - far better than their ranking. if they traveled and played full time they'd be regulars in the big events. but they dont travel a lot and their lack of exposure to top teams hurts them. we saw how good they can be a couple years ago so never say never but.. id be surprised if they get to the playoffs
nova scotia - a strong nova scotia team. they wont be easy oiuts for anyone and reaching tiebreakers might not be out of the realm of possibility but more than likely tjis will be another 5 win team
northwest territories - they have spield more than ever and had good success, winning their first ever event. very tempting to put them into darkhorse category . kerry has come close before but ultimately i feel like, much like previous years it will come down to kerry not getting enough help down the line. she's a shot maker but she cant do it alone
new brunswick - andrea has tons of experience and a lot of talent but she's been out of the game a while and her team has no experience here
prince edward island - suzanne has been to plenty of scotties but what i think hurts her is her inability to keep a lineup and constant slow starts. dont expect anything different from them this year
quebec - first time at the scotties. they are young and will treasure the experience but dont expect much from them
new foundland - same as quebec. first time here . they're here for the experience
british columbia - its sad BC curling has come to the point where you dont consider their team a threat at the scotties. sarah is a solid team that does well in BC but, as is the problem with most BC teams they dont travel a lot. her inexperience away from home will once again be their undoing. they might grab an upset and scare a team or 2 but ultimately dont expect them in championship pool
yukon - here for the experience.
nunavut - getting a win will be a big ask
championship pool qualifiers:
ontario
alberta
manitoba
northern ontario
canada
wild card
'saskatchewan
northwest territories
final 4
canada
ontario
manitoba
wild card
final
ontario def. manitoba
Brier
canada - strong contender but they havent looked as strong as the last couple years. more vulnerable this year but should be a factor at the end
alberta - as always koe will contend. probably the chief threat to gushue's title defense
british columbia - good to see jim back. with steve he has a strong combination . they will be tough for a lot fo teams and could definitely cause upsets but their lack of exposure to big teams this season will burn them, i think
manitoba - they struggled all year but won when it counted. brier at home and mike is motivated. look out
new brunswick - one of the teams there for the experience. they have a lot of experience in this sport down the line and can cause fits but dont expect them to advance
newfoundland - first brier for a young team. experience valuable. who knows when they'll get back since they'll likely have to deal with gushue again next year at home
northern ontario - always contenders here. they only missed playoffs once in this lineup. they can win it all . one of the favorites
nova scotia - another debutant. have had a respecatable season. they have been knocking on the door in nova scotia for a while . depending on the pool they land in they could advance
ontario - no doubt they have had a great season. but when asked to perform in larger events )slams) so far this year they've underwhelmed. they should advance but i doubt they'll be in the playoffs. they'll be close though
prince edward island - again, there for the experience.
quebec- one team to look out for. lots of talent here. much like ontario i expect they'll be close but just on the outside at the end
saskatchewan - my darkhorse pick. really good team. kirk will have to manage the marsh brothers who are new here but they can compete with anyone. how the marsh brothers do with nerves will greatly affect how they do
northwest territories - as always they'll put on a show. you never really know what to expect with them. could advance out of group could flop out. we'll see. the start will be key. if jamie gets confident they could make championship pool
nunavut - much like the women a win will be a victory
yukon - again, a win will be a victory here. lots of experience so could scare a couple teams though
wild card - bottcher or epping will be a strong addition. no question for me bottcher would be the bigger threat for the title and, honestly with epping's inconsistency id think it very possible this team miss playoffs. but we'll see who's there
will make predictions on playoffs and qualifiers when i see pools
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