Canada Struggles as US Hands 9-3 Curling Defeat

Summary:

• Canada fell to 2-2 after losses to the US and Scotland.
• The US’s early scoring forced the Canadians to go into chase mode throughout the game.
• Monday will host two key matches, possibly defining Canada’s tournament.

Canada’s rocky stretch at the 2026 World Men’s Curling Championship continued Sunday, with Matt Dunstone’s team falling 9-3 to John Shuster and the United States in a one-sided game that ended after seven ends.

Back-to-Back Losses

After they opened the tournament with two solid wins, Canada dropped back-to-back matches, including a loss to Scotland’s Ross Whyte the night before. 

The latest defeat leaves Team Dunstone at 2-2, still within reach of the playoff picture but clearly searching for rhythm.

The Americans set the tone early, scoring two points in the first end and quickly forcing Canada into a chasing position. Despite Dunstone’s team single-point response in the second, the US managed to stay in control and add two more in the third. 

Canada managed another single in the fourth, but the turning point came in the fifth end, when the Americans scored four points to stretch the lead to 8-2.

From there, the outcome was never really in doubt. Canada added one more point in the sixth, but the U.S. closed things out in the seventh to secure the win.

Not Their Best Form Yet

After the match, Dunstone admitted his team has not yet found its best form, pointing to the lack of hammer in the opening end as an early setback and acknowledged that his side has been slightly off in key moments. 

Despite the frustration, he stressed that the team still believes it can turn things around.

The standings remain tight. Sweden, led by Niklas Edin, sits undefeated at the top, while Switzerland is close behind. A cluster of teams, including China, Germany, Italy, and Scotland, are all in the middle of the pack. Canada is still within striking distance, but the margin for error is shrinking.

The United States briefly improved to 2-2 with the win over Canada but later lost to Sweden, dropping to 2-3.

Canada will have little time to regroup, returning to the ice Monday for two crucial games, first against Poland and later against Japan.