Gushue going for 3rd straight Brier title after beating Alberta's Bottcher to reach final

Brad Gushue was a win away from making more curling history at the Canadian men's championship.

The defending Brier champion defeated tournament top seed Brendan Bottcher of Alberta 7-3 in a playoff game Saturday night to earn an express ticket to Sunday evening's final in Regina's Brandt Centre.

Bottcher dropped to Sunday afternoon's semifinal to face Saskatchewan's Mike McEwen, who was a 6-5 winner earlier over Matt Dunstone.

Watch That Curling Show live from the Brier immediately after Sunday's final on the CBC Sports YouTube channel.

Gushue manages a problematic hip, so one less game between his team and another title was desirable.

"We're not young, so getting there efficiently is important," said the 43-year-old. "It's a challenge to play that semifinal and play the final again. I'd rather go this route."

Gushue, third Mark Nichols and lead Geoff Walker were attempting to win the sixth Canadian men's curling championship of their careers and third straight, which would tie both of Randy Ferbey's records.

Gushue could become the first man to skip a team to six Brier titles.

Winning a nervous first title in Gushue's hometown of St. John's, N.L., in 2017, broke the Brier ice for him. His team repeated in 2018 in Regina playing like a team with no pressure on it. They've been perennial contenders the last six years.

"If I win this, or we pull out the win tomorrow, it's not going to change much in our lives," Gushue said. "We know this is not a huge life-changing event for us anymore, so it takes a lot of the edge off. And we had a lot of edge in 2017."

Gushue and Nichols will appear in an eighth Brier final to rank third all-time alongside Kevin Koe. Only Glenn Howard (11) and his former teammate Brent Laing (9) have appeared in more.

"I know the nerves are going to be there," Gushue said. "I'm not going to be able to eat as much tomorrow. That's not going to surprise me. It's not going to make me more nervous. It's actually going to get me excited because I know that's the feeling that I want and that I want all year.

"When you go play in events in curling clubs, and you don't get that, I'm like 'this sucks."'

After starting with a 2-2 record, Gushue's foursome that includes second E.J. Harnden won six games in a row.