Big shots and key wins: Where are we at after five days of Scotties curling?

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Kerri Einarson was on the ropes Tuesday night at the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

But eight points in the second half of her all-Manitoba battle with Kate Cameron capped by a nice touch shot with hammer to count two on the hearts-centre pin lifted the four-time queen to the victory and renewed life in Thunder Bay, Ont.

“It, for sure, did,” Einarson told reporters, when asked if the result saved her rink’s week. “You don’t want to get three losses. We know we have to win from here on out.

“It was a roller-coaster out there,” continued Einarson. “You just have patience. You don’t want to just start giving up.”

And so Einarson, who lost earlier in the day to Northwest Territories’ Kerry Galusha, made a few big shots in the victory.

But she wasn’t the only one dealing blows on big-shot Tuesday.

So, too, did Alberta’s Kayla Skrlik in her afternoon triumph.

Included was an amazing double-runback double-takeout for a wowzer five-ender in a 10-5 win over Saskatchewan’s Nancy Martin.

The shot — considered the best of the 10-day event so far — had everybody gushing about the 27-year-old skip on the TSN broadcast.

“We’ve been gearing up for a big end like that the whole end,” Skrlik, flashing a big smile, told reporters post-game. “We saw our opportunity and sort of took it. It turned into a six-point swing, so that was great. It sealed the deal for us, pretty much in that game.

“We saw the run-double right away,” continued Skrlik. “Luckily, my draw overcurled to put the rock there but we were pretty confident we could make that one.”

It was certainly timely to lift her Calgary crew closer to a playoff spot.

“My most clutch shot was definitely my provincial-final thin-double two years ago,” said Skrlik, recalling an effort to get her Garrison Curling Club squad to its first Scotties in 2023 Kamloops. “But hopefully, we keep it going here.”

Cameron, too, had big shots going Tuesday — including a “pistol,” said Einarson, in the second end to pull off a magnificent three-count — and nearly pulled off a two-win day after thumping Québec’s Laurie St-Georges 12-6 in the morning draw.

The Winnipeg skip and her Heather Curling Club mates had Einarson in trouble, too. But the queen of the Scotties from 2020-23 dug deep to collect three-enders in six and eight followed by the deuce in 10.

“We just kept hanging in there,” added Einarson. “After a made the shot for three the first time, I had a really good feeling we were going to come back and win it. So we just stuck together.”

WHAT IT MEANS IN THE STANDINGS?

Einarson improves to 3-2, tied with Cameron, in the Pool B chase for three playoff spots. Above them are Nova Scotia’s Christina Black (4-1), Ontario’s Danielle Inglis (4-1) and Québec (4-2).

Inglis is the surprise of the event so far and plays Cameron on Wednesday afternoon.

After a must-needed two-win day, Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes (3-3) is also in contention.

Lawes & Co. turned to Selena Njegovan to skip Tuesday.

“We just didn’t have the start we were looking for,” Njegovan said. “And so we just thought we’d switch it up and see how it goes.

“It was good … Hopefully, we can bring that forward.”

In Pool A, it’s Canada’s Rachel Homan (5-0) still chugging along with a perfect mark. The defending champ looks free and clear but plays B.C.’s Corryn Brown (4-1), who is another surprise at these Scotties, early Wednesday.

Then it’s Skrlik (4-2) and fellow Albertan Selena Sturmay (3-2) and her Edmonton rink also in the hunt for playoff spots.

“I think we’re kind of in a must-win situation from here on out,” Sturmay told reporters, after her afternoon 9-4 victory over Prince Edward Island’s Jane DiCarlo (1-4). “But we’re still just taking it one game at a time, one day at a time.”

Nancy Martin’s Saskatchewan rink is still in contention at 3-3.

tsaelhof@postmedia.com

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