Hometown skip Brad Gushue has made it into the playoffs the hard way at the National.

Gushue downed Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller 4-1 on Friday night in a tiebreaker draw to set up the quarter-finals at the fourth stop on the Grand Slam of Curling circuit.

Team Gushue: Still kings of the Rock

This week in Conception Bay South, N.L., the local team of Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker has been welcomed to every game with a raucous applause from a sold-out crowd at the Grand Slam’s Boost National event.

Brad Gushue celebrates his 2017 Brier championship, won at home in St. John's, Nfld.

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Stop the clock: Curlers sound off on new timing system

If you’re still trying to wrap your head around the ever-shifting rules of curling and the game's landscape, you’re not alone. Conversations and changes surrounding the length of games, time clocks and five-rock, free-guard zones have fans bugging and players a little grouchy.

Kevin Koe, pictured at a prior event, was involved in an awkward exchange with officials regarding the new time clock rule during the recent Canada Cup event. 

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Glenn Howard of Penetanguishe, Ont., also needed a tiebreaker to get into the final eight, beating Saskatoon's Kirk Muyres 4-2.

Scotland's Bruce Mouat and Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., finished 4-0 for the top two seeds. Mouat will meet Gushue in one quarterfinal while Jacobs faces Howard.

WATCH:&nbsp;Miracle shot helps Brad Jacobs stay undefeated at the National

Miracle shot helps Brad Jacobs stay undefeated at the National

The 2014 Olympic champion hit a highlight-reel double-raise in-off that found the button to force an extra end against Niklas Edin. Jacobs went on to steal two points for the win.

Calgary's Kevin&nbsp;Koe&nbsp;(3-1) plays Winnipeg's Jason&nbsp;Gunnlaugson&nbsp;(2-2) and Scotland's Ross Paterson (2-2) is up against Sweden's&nbsp;Niklas&nbsp;Edin&nbsp;(3-1) to round out the men's playoffs that begin Saturday.

The women's side will also need a tiebreaker before starting the playoff round, which will go Saturday morning.

Winnipeg's Kerri&nbsp;Einarson&nbsp;will face American Jamie Sinclair with the winner moving on to play top seed Anna&nbsp;Hasselborg&nbsp;of Sweden, the only skip to finish 4-0.

Ottawa's Rachel&nbsp;Homan&nbsp;(3-1) and Toronto's Jacqueline Harrison (2-2) are scheduled in one quarterfinal while Winnipeg's Jennifer Jones (3-1) faces Scotland's Eve&nbsp;Muirhead&nbsp;(3-1) and Switzerland's&nbsp;Silvana&nbsp;Tirinzoni&nbsp;(3-1) meets Japan's&nbsp;Satsuki&nbsp;Fujisawa&nbsp;in the others (3-1).

Follow Devin Heroux live from&nbsp;Conception Bay South, N.L.:

Brad Gushue will play the weekend at the National after winning a tiebreaker Friday night.

Gushue, Howard win tiebreakers to move on at the National

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