Team Jacobs’ efficiency, swagger return in big win over Norway

Our Canadian men's curling team won its third consecutive game 10-4 against Thomas Ulsrud of Norway to improve its record to 4-2 and now back in a playoff position after two disappointing early losses to Switzerland and Sweden.

That's the good news. The better news is that Team Brad Jacobs appears to be back. So far in the Olympics, the team that methodically worked through the Brier and Roar of the Rings in 2013 with the precision of third Ryan Fry and the power of skipper Jacobs just wasn't there. Jacobs' angles were slightly off and the team that didn't seem to miss an opportunity for a double takeout in the calendar year kept getting into trouble, and had yet to pull off a big win until the game against Norway.

After he broke the tie game 3 in the 7th, however, you got the sense Jacobs was back. Jacobs made a clutch double takeout with his final stone of the end secured a four-ender for the Sault Ste. Marie rink, sweepers Ryan and E.J. Harnden let out their familiar battle cry that had been absent so far these games, while Jacobs followed suit with his trademark emphatic fist pump.

"I was a little nervous" said Jacobs to CBC reporter Colleen Jones after the game. "We got a break by Thomas' [Ulsrud's rock] curling a little up there. As soon as it was out of my hand, I knew we had a chance and it was just a matter of calling it right."

Jacobs also said it was "the best finish" after "not the best start". His team played near-perfect after giving up a steal of one point in the first and being forced to take a single in the second. Norway was held to one point in the third, and in the 4th Jacobs capitalized on Ulsrud's first big miss after the Norwegian skip failed to bring his hit-and-roll attempt all the way behind cover. Jacobs hit and stuck his shooter for the deuce and cruised from there, putting up big ends in the 7th and 9th.

The key to Canada's turnaround has been Fry, throwing third stones. After struggling in the first three games curling just 79%, Jacobs has thrown 89% in the team's three consecutive wins. Jacobs and the front-end have been relatively consistent all tournament, but Jacobs' job against Norway was made easier by having easier looks. As we saw at the Roar of the Rings, Jacobs' rink had a lot of success playing with fewer rocks in the house and won thanks to a mastery of the angles. In fact, Fry and Jacobs combined to throw just four draws in the contest, playing strong defence on Norway's rocks in play.

So what does this mean for Canada's medal hopes? Well, with the win, the Jacobs rink moves above Norway into fourth place and playoff position, so they'll be fine from here on out should they keep pace with Norway. China, a surprising 4-0 to start the tournament, already began falling back a little with an extra ends loss to Sweden. Skip Rui Liu and his team still have to play Norway later on Friday as well as Canada and Great Britain, so they could also be a team vulnerable to giving up a playoff spot if they can't win each game against their better opponents.

David Murdoch of Great Britain is in a similar position. Though he's at 4-1 and in a tie for second, he still has games against Denmark, Canada and Norway upcoming, and in a tournament where four losses spells doom and three is no fun at all, winning at least one is imperative. His past record is much better than Liu's, so we'll give him the benefit of the doubt despite the weak schedule and pencil him in a playoff spot.

Jacobs, meanwhile, is out of the toughest part of his schedule, with matches still to come against Great Britain, China and the United States. He should be fine if he takes two of the three, and his path is certainly easier with the win over Norway to jump ahead of them in the standings. Seeding may depend on just how much for real China is, if at all, and depends on how he navigates the difficult part of his schedule.

One thing is for certain—Canada's big win means a berth in the medal round is that much more likely, provided Jacobs closes out the schedule by beating opponents he ought to beat. Now that we've seen the first aggressive fist pump of the tournament, they may be a much more intimidating opponent for their three remaining draws.