Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 6, 2022, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE B1 SPORTS SPORTS@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM SUNDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2022 RICK SCUTERI / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HIGH-FLYING ALL STAR Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets, representing the Central Division, moves the puck up the ice Saturday against the Atlantic Division in the NHL All-Star Game semifinal in Las Vegas. Connor had a goal against the Atlantic and added an assist against the Metropolitan Division in the final. See story on page B3. CONNECT WITH MANITOBA’S BEST SPORTS COVERAGE Einarson downs Fleury in Scotties slugfest Manitoba rinks expected to be in final battle for spot in semi IT was the matchup everyone watching the Scotties had been waiting for, though nobody would have guessed it would come when it did. A little sooner than most fans would have expected, with an elimi- nation on the line but not, as betting odds and history both predicted, the ultimate prize: only two Manitoba teams desperate to stay in the fight. So yeah, it was a slugfest. And when the dust settled on Saturday afternoon’s 3 vs. 4 playoff game, Kerri Einarson was still in the hunt to defend her two-time Canadian title; but Team Tracey Fleury, so good this week in Thunder Bay and so strong all season — especially against Ein- arson, who they’d beaten in all five previous matchups this year — was going home. Still, there wasn’t much euphoria from the Einarson camp after sealing the 11-6 win. They’d bought themselves a ticket into this morning’s semifinal, but no more. The threepeat chance is “still alive,” Einarson acknowledged, speaking to media on a Zoom call after the game; but they weren’t about to let their minds get too far ahead. “We’re not really thinking about that,” the skip said. “We’re just taking it one game at a time, and just going out there and embracing being Team Canada.” Now, Einarson’s team will focus on the next step in trying to pull off their threepeat. To get there, they’ll have to beat New Brunswick’s Andrea Craw- ford in this morning’s semifinal, which kicks off at 11 a.m. on TSN. The winner will face Krista Mc- Carville of Northern Ontario in the championship game at 6 p.m. What a wild twist. Going into the Scotties, Fleury was favoured to win it all, with Einarson seeded second; through the round robin, those bets seemed safe. Einarson blazed 8-0 through her pool while Fleury’s team, playing without their skip after she tested positive for COVID-19, lost their first but won the next seven, as vice Selena Njegovan settled into calling the shots. On Friday, Fleury was back in the hack just in time for the playoffs, and their first loss. They struggled mighti- ly against Thunder Bay hometown star and perennial Scotties contender Kris- ta McCarville; on the next sheet over, Einarson was locked in a losing battle of her own against Crawford. Those two losses paved the way for one of the most unforeseen 3 vs. 4 games in recent Scotties memory. MELISSA MARTIN ANDREW VAUGHAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS Wild Card 1 skip Tracy Fleury watches a rock as Team Canada lead Briane Meilleur (left) and second Shannon Birchard look on Saturday in Thunder Bay, Ont. ● SCOTTIES CONTINUED ON B3 SECTION B▼ B_01_Feb-06-22_FP_01.indd 1 2022-02-05 11:00 PM ;