Carruthers remains undefeated at Grand Slam of Curling

Winnipeg's Reid Carruthers and Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., won their final draws of the day on Friday to finish round-robin play with unbeaten records at the Grand Slam of Curling.

Carruthers improved to 5-0 with a commanding 9-2 win over previously unbeaten Brendan Bottcher of Edmonton in the next to last round-robin draw while Howard beat Calgary's Matthew Blandford 5-2 in the last draw.

Carruthers (5-0) struggled a little, just claiming a single with the hammer in the first end. But he took a 4-0 lead when Bottcher missed a nose hit for two in the second end, removed his own counter and lost his shooter to give up a steal of three. Carruthers then stole another two in the third end to make it 6-0.

Bottcher finally put a deuce on the board in the fourth end.

Carruthers is a Brier winner and world champion as second with Manitoba's Jeff Stoughton, but hasn't skipped much since juniors. He struck out on his own when the Stoughton rink disbanded.

Bottcher (4-1) is the 2012 World Junior curling champ and has had limited success at World Curling Tour events since he started with a win at the 2012 Red Deer Curling Classic. In last season's National in March he finished 1-4.

Bottcher's lead is Karrick Martin, son of Alberta curling legend Kevin Martin, who has put down his broom and picked up a microphone as a curling broadcaster with Sportsnet — which gave him a front-row seat Friday to watch his son in action.

Howard, meanwhile, scored single points in the first, second, fourth, fifth and seventh ends en route to victory.

In other late games, John Morris (3-2) of Calgary scored five points in the fifth end to top Winnipeg's Jeff Stoughton (2-3), 7-4.

Brad Gushue (2-3) of St. John's N.L., had a single point in the ninth end to get past Calgary's Kevin Koe (2-3), 4-3.

Olympic champion and hometown favourite Brad Jacobs (3-2) of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., scored two points in the first end and two more in the seventh in a 5-2 victory over Toronto's John Epping (3-2). And Switzerland's Peter de Cruz (2-3) downed Rob Rumfeldt (0-5) of Guelph, Ont., 7-2 in six ends.

In other afternoon games, Charlottetown's Adam Casey (2-3) beat Mark Kean (1-4) of Stoney Creek, Ont., 9-2 in six ends. Casey trailed 2-1 after three ends before responding with a pick up of three in the fourth and fifth ends and two more in the sixth to seal the win.

Heath McCormick (3-2), of Blaine, Minn., got past Stoughton in seven ends 7-4.

Saskatoon's Steve Laycock (3-2) picked up four in the seventh end for a 9-5 victory over Winnipeg's Mike McEwen (3-2). And Jacobs grabbed a single in the seventh end and one more in the eighth to slip past Blandford 4-3.