Defending champion Einarson shakes off early rust to defeat Duncan at Scotties | CBC Sports

Einarson, who trailed 2-0 after the opening end, said her team hadn’t played since losing in a tiebreaker during the Olympic curling trails in November. After the lay off, it took her some time to read the ice.

Facing three Ontario rocks in the second end, Einarson made a takeout for a point, then tied the game when she stole a single in the third after Duncan missed on a hit and roll.

Duncan was light on a draw in the fourth, allowing Einarson to steal three.

“That was the turning point in the game,” said Einarson. “We got the game in our control and kept that pressure on them.”

In a see-saw battle, Quebec’s Laurie St-Georges tied the game with a steal in the 10th, then used another steal in the extra end to defeat Alberta’s Laura Walker 9-8. Walker used a highlight-reel takeout in the eighth to score four points to take an 8-5 lead.

‘High-intensity game’

“It was a great game, it was a high-intensity game,” said St-Georges, of Laval, Que., who is making her second Scotties appearance. “It’s actually exciting to have a first win in the books.”

Third Hailey Armstrong said the team has a playbook setting out different situations they could face. Being down a point in the 10th end without the hammer was one of the scenarios.

“It was stuck in our brains what we needed to do,” she said.

The competition to crown the Canadian women’s curling champion is being held at the Fort Williams Gardens. Due to COVID-19 concerns the event is being staged in an empty arena without fans or media in the building.

Curling Canada has scrapped plans to offer a modified ticket plan for the final three days of the event, which ends Feb. 6.

“After careful thought and consideration, the risks of opening the venue after establishing protocols were not favourable in keeping all participants safe,” Curling Canada CEO Katherine Henderson said in a release.

Playing with no fans still ‘challenging’

The 2021 Scotties was also played in a bubble without fans in Calgary.

“Unfortunately, we’re starting to get used to it,” said Einarson. “I don’t like it. It’s challenging.”

A positive test forced Tracey Fleury, the skip of the Wild Card 1 rink from Manitoba, to miss Friday night’s opening draw.

Saskatchewan coach Mark Lang and TSN analyst Russ Howard have also tested positive and are in isolation.

The tournament features two pools of nine, seeded based on their final standing on the Canadian Team Ranking System as of Jan. 10, 2022.

There will be an eight-game round robin with the top three teams in each pool advancing to an expanded Page playoff system.

The Scotties champion will represent Canada at the 2022 Women’s Curling Championship in Prince George, B.C., from March 19-27.

Einarson’s rink is looking to become the first team to clinch three consecutive titles since Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones won between 2008 and 2010.

Saskatchewan’s Vera Pezer won three titles between 1971 and 1973 while Colleen Jones of Nova Scotia won four straight beginning in 2001.

“We’re not thinking about that,” said third Val Sweeting. “Our ultimate goal is to win the Scotties. We’re just trying to take it one game at a time.

“We worked really hard in the last two months. We did everything we could staying safe. We’re just looking to get better every game and figure out the ice. It’s a long road.”