Flasch and Bottcher win crossover games at Brier, Gunnlaugson and Jacobs eliminated

Team Wild Card Three skip Jason Gunnlaugson, right, directs his teammates as Team Canada second Brad Thiessen looks on during playoff action at the Tim Hortons Brier in Lethbridge, Alta., Friday, March 11, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Saskatchewan's Colton Flasch beat Brad Jacobs 10-3 to eliminate Northern Ontario from the Tim Hortons Brier on Friday while Canada's Brendan Bottcher knocked out Wild Card Three's Jason Gunnlaugson 7-3 in the other crossover playoff game.

Flasch made an open draw for four points in the fourth end to essentially put the game out of reach.

The fourth end was also critical in the other game as Gunnlaugson missed a double-takeout that let Bottcher draw for three and a lead he wouldn't relinquish.

Flasch advanced to an evening matchup against Alberta's Kevin Koe, the No. 1 seed in Pool A. Bottcher will next face Wild Card One's Brad Gushue, who ran the table in round-robin play to take the top seed in Pool B.

A six-team playoff format is being used this season. The winners of the evening games advance to the Page playoff 1-2 game Saturday while the losers meet in the 3-4 game.

The 1-2 Page winner goes directly to Sunday night's final at the Enmax Centre. The 1-2 loser plays the 3-4 winner in the semifinal earlier that day.

Earlier in the day, Gunnlaugson beat Manitoba's Mike McEwen 9-3 to claim the final playoff spot in Pool B. Flasch secured the last Pool A berth by topping Wild Card Two's Matt Dunstone 9-5.

The Brier winner will represent Canada at the April 2-10 world men's curling championship in Las Vegas.

Kerri Einarson won her third straight Scotties Tournament of Hearts title last month in Thunder Bay, Ont. She will wear the Maple Leaf at the March 19-27 women's world curling championship in Prince George, B.C.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 11, 2022.