#OLYMPICS SEVEN MOMENTS REVISITING SERIES#
#OLYMPICS SEVEN MOMENTS REVISITING FREE#

USA started 2-4 and have won four in a row, against the two tiebreaker teams (Great Britain and Switzerland) and twice against the three-time Canadian and two-time world champion. Koe failed to score more than a single in the game, something that had not happened during the entire round robin portion of the event. They were able to keep it close-despite starting without hammer-and eventually capitalize in the right situations. Ĭanada clearly had an off game but Team Shuster were ready for the moment. In fact, many teams now prefer to be tied with the final shot in the last end, rather than be ahead by two points. More importantly, top men’s teams have recently gone from an 80% win percentage when tied with hammer to creeping over 90%. Today, however, five-rock FGZ rules provide a better opportunity for a team two down in the final end.

I still believe this call was not the preferred option then.

On skip’s first, John could hit to sit two but chooses to draw behind centre instead …Īnother example of how the strategy of the sport has changed since this was written.

When I spoke with Kevin months later about this decision, his rationale was to limit the chance of Shuster using the corner guard and, in that moment, he wanted to force play to the middle. Today, this tactic is used more often at various times throughout a game. Around that time, teams would generally use double centre guards without hammer if they were tied or behind in the late stages. Kevin Koe using double centre guards before the halfway mark when leading by one was a puzzling move back then.

#OLYMPICS SEVEN MOMENTS REVISITING FREE#

Revisiting this article from the previous Olympics, of note is the shift in strategy in only a few years, primarily due to the change in rules with the five-rock free guard zone replacing four-rock. The double centre guard is a very aggressive play that is most often used when tied or down without hammer and often not this early in the game. Shuster is deserving of the medal and he has earned it, not just this week but after years of preparation.

#OLYMPICS SEVEN MOMENTS REVISITING SERIES#

The key final round robin draw (yes, curlers call a series of games a “draw”) against Great Britain was an example of how they could draw (different definition here) on that experience to execute at the biggest moment while minimizing any strategic errors or mental mistakes.įrom the vantage point on my couch, the Kyle Smith squad is talented, but lacked the composure that comes from having been in the moment before. The knock on this team has been their many international appearances without reaching the summit, but I had them as dark horses heading into this event. John Shuster is battle-tested, having appeared in four Olympic Winter Games and seven world championships, including bronze at the 2016 worlds. If I were allowed to gamble at eight years old someone named Vinny or Rocco would still be looking for me. With all due respect to mini-Herb Brooks, the comparisons of Team Shuster to the 1980 USA Hockey team is an unfair comparison.

Olympics seven moments revisiting