Defending Brier champion Gushue beats Kevin Koe in extra end to secure playoff berth

Three-time defending champion Brad Gushue is picking up where he left off at the Montana's Brier.

His St. John's-based team was the first to secure a playoff berth with a 7-6 victory over Alberta's Kevin Koe on Wednesday at Prospera Place.

Koe pushed him hard, taking advantage of a Gushue miss in the 10th end to score a deuce and force an extra end. The Calgary skip was a little wide with his final draw into a crowded house and the teams shook hands.

"We kept our composure," Gushue said. "When rocks didn't turn out, we didn't get negative."

Gushue led the nine-team Pool A standings at 6-0 with two round-robin games left to play. He's trying to win the national men's curling championship for a record seventh time.

"Now the focus is on trying to get first place and trying to get hammer in the playoffs," Gushue said.

It's the second straight year that Koe (2-4), a four-time Brier champion, will miss the playoff cut.

"It's frustrating," he said. "Last year, we were just brutal and we lost. This year, we played quite well and we could have won a few [more] games. Any time you lose at the Brier it's [tough]."

Manitoba's Reid Carruthers was in second place at 6-1 ahead of Manitoba's Matt Dunstone (5-1) and idle Northern Ontario skip John Epping (4-2).

Carruthers defeated Nunavut's Shane Latimer 7-3 and Dunstone dumped New Brunswick's James Grattan 9-3. British Columbia's Cameron de Jong posted an 8-3 win over Newfoundland and Labrador's Ty Dilello in the other early game.

Koe was in a fifth-place tie with Grattan ahead of de Jong (2-5), Dilello (2-6) and Latimer (0-6).

The top three teams from each pool at the end of round-robin play Thursday night will advance to the qualification games Friday.

"We feel like we should be a