Canada’s Dunstone rebounds from back-to-back losses with rout of Poland at men’s curling worlds

Canada got back on track at the men’s world curling championship with a 9-2 rout of Poland in Monday’s early draw.

Matt Dunstone’s Winnipeg rink went up 4-2 with a deuce in the fifth end, then stole three in the sixth and two in the seventh as the teams shook hands early.

The win improved Canada’s record to 3-2 heading into a game against Japan in the evening draw.

Dunstone, who is representing Canada for the first time at the world championship, rebounded after back-to-back lopsided losses to Scotland and the United States.

His team had opened strongly with wins over South Korea and Italy on Friday.

“It’s not far off,” Dunstone said after the win. “We didn’t have to reinvent the wheel with what we were doing.

“The game [against the U.S.], we struggled without question. The [game against Scotland], we felt like we played fairly well. We’ve been drawing well the entire time; just a little bit off with hits and being precise on the hit-and-rolls and shot management overall.”

Poland skip Konrad Stych scored a deuce in the fourth end to tie the score at 2-2 and was shooting 97 per cent at that point.

“[There was a] `here we go’ kind of feeling for sure,” said Dunstone. “I mean, you can’t expect people to miss shots; everybody’s here for a reason.

“He showed exactly that on those two shots — world-class draws, and I couldn’t match him. But overall, we leaned heavy on them and eventually got misses.”

The misses started in the fifth end, when Stych wrecked on a guard with his last shot as Canada scored two. His misses on his last shots in the sixth and seventh ends led to the big Canada steals.

In other early draw action, Sweden, skipped by seven-time world champion Niklas Edin, improved to 6-0 with a 7-6 extra-end win over South Korea.

Germany scored two in the 10th end to beat Norway 7-6. The Germans (4-2) moved into third place behind Sweden and idle Switzerland (4-1).

Team Einarson adds Peterman

Team Einarson has added two-time Olympian Jocelyn Peterman as lead and vice days after overhauling its lineup following a runner-up finish at the world women’s curling championship in Calgary.

Peterman joins from Kaitlyn Lawes’s Winnipeg-based rink, where she played second since 2022.

Kerri Einarson’s Gimli, Man. rink parted ways Thursday with longtime third Val Sweeting, coach Reid Carruthers and alternate Krysten Karwacki after the loss to Switzerland.

Einarson remains at skip with Shannon Birchard moving to third and Karlee Burgess to second.

Birchard and Burgess will continue as the team’s primary sweeping duo.

“I’m really excited to team up with such a hardworking, talented group of women,” Peterman said in a statement. “I can’t wait to get on the ice, learn from each other, and see what we can build together.”

Peterman and her husband, Brett Gallant, opened 3-0 in mixed doubles at the Milan Cortina Games last month before finishing 4-5 and missing the playoffs.

The pair has been among Canada’s top mixed doubles teams, winning the 2019 Canadian mixed doubles championship and earning silver at the world mixed doubles championship that same year.

Peterman also represented Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, playing second on Jennifer Jones’s team, with Lawes at third.

She spent four seasons with Jones from 2018 to 2022, then left with Lawes to form a new team in 2022.

Peterman won the 2016 Scotties Tournament of Hearts as second on Chelsea Carey’s team and has been a regular presence at the national championship.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Jocelyn to the team. She’s an incredible player with a ton of experience,” said Einarson.

Einarson’s rink has been one of Canada’s most successful teams in recent years, winning five Scotties Tournament of Hearts titles since 2020, including this year’s event in Mississauga.

The team has also won three world championship medals since 2022, taking bronze in 2022 and 2023 before earning silver this year in Calgary.