VICTORIA, February 26, 2009 — A perfect Thursday for Quebec's Marie-France Larouche and P.E.I.'s Rebecca Jean MacPhee has them ready to play on Friday at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian women's curling championship.

But when they'll play, and which opponents they'll face won't be determined until late Thursday night at the completion of round-robin play at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre

Both Quebec and P.E.I. picked up a pair of wins on Thursday to finish the round-robin with 7-4 records, but it's shaping up as a busy Friday filled with tiebreakers considering three other teams also sport four losses, and two others sit with five.

Only Marla Mallett of B.C., who lost to P.E.I. in Draw 16 on Thursday afternoon, is secure for the playoffs, having wrapped up first place and a berth in the Page playoff one-two game.

The Islanders were in a stealing mood early against B.C., taking two in the second end and one more in the third to build a 3-0 lead, and they never trailed the rest of the way in dropping B.C.'s record to 8-2.

"That's a big day; we're just delighted," said P.E.I. skip Rebecca Jean MacPhee, who earlier on Thursday knocked off Team Canada's Jennifer Jones 8-7. "We knew we had to come out and play a strong two games today, and we feel we did. It's been fabulous. Robyn (MacPhee, Rebecca Jean's younger sister, who throws last rock) played just phenomenal, and now we just have to keep going and hope for the best."

Quebec, meanwhile, also derailed a hot team in the afternoon draw. Larouche made an angle-raise takeout with her final stone of the 10th end to snuff out a six-game win streak put up by Saskatchewan's Stefanie Lawton. Quebec prevailed 7-5, following on the heels of a 9-4 triumph over Manitoba's Barb Spencer earlier in the day. Saskatchewan dropped to 6-4 with the loss.

"After yesterday (Quebec lost twice on Wednesday), we needed to win both games today, so this was great for us," said Larouche. "Our second game, the whole team played very well, and that was just the second time it happened all week."

Meanwhile, the playoff hopes of Newfoundland/Labrador's Heather Strong were dealt a major blow when she dropped a 6-5 decision to Andrea Kelly of New Brunswick. New Brunswick stole one in the fifth end, then three more in the sixth to finish the Scotties with a 5-6 record. Newfoundland/Labrador dropped to 5-5 and will need help in Draw 17 to make the playoffs.

Ontario's Krista McCarville is in the same position after giving up three in the 10th end to Kerry Galusha of the Northwest Territories/Yukon to lose 9-7. Galusha, who finished the Hearts with a 4-7 record, made a delicate tap in the four-foot, negotiating a tight guard in the process, for the win. Ontario dropped to 5-5 with the loss.

Team Canada (6-4), Alberta's Cheryl Bernard (6-4), Manitoba (2-8) and Nova Scotia's Nancy McConnery (1-9) all had byes in Draw 16.

Round-robin play at the Scotties concludes Thursday at 9:30 p.m. (all times Eastern) on TSN. As well, archived footage from earlier draws is available from TSN.ca.

The top four teams following the conclusion of round-robin play on Thursday night will make the Page playoffs. The first- and second-place teams will play Friday at 9:30 p.m. Friday, with the winner going into Sunday's 8 p.m. championship game on TSN.

The third- and fourth-place teams will play Saturday at 2:30 p.m. for a berth in Saturday's 7 p.m. semifinal on TSN against the loser of the Page one-two game.