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Ontario’s Krista McCarville hollers to her sweepers on Tuesday. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

Krista McCarville feels her team is right where it deserves to be — atop the standings at the Tournament of Hearts in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

The Ontario skip improved to 6-1 and took sole possession of first place after Draw 11 with a 9-3 victory over P.E.I.’s Kathy O’Rourke on Tuesday night.

O’Rourke sits in a second-place tie with Team Canada’s Jennifer Jones at 5-2.

“It feels excellent,” McCarville said. “It feels really excellent. We’ve been playing well and I reckon we deserve it.”

After Ontario jumped out to a 3-0 lead through three ends, P.E.I. got one back in the fourth, but O’Rourke’s rink would get no closer.

“I’m disappointed that the game wasn’t a better game,” said the P.E.I. skip. “Erin [Carmody] was struggling with draw weight and it’s hard out there when you can’t get the draws where you want them to be. She just didn’t have the feel tonight for it.”

O’Rourke credited McCarville with taking advantage of her chances and nullifying any of P.E.I.’s progress.

“They’re playing phenomenal,” O’Rourke said. “Any time we did have anything set up, [McCarville] either came through a hole or made a double.

“She played just like we knew she was going to play. We really had to place our rocks in exactly the right places or we were going to be in distress with her.”

After a forgetful performance on Monday that saw it drop a pair of games, Canada picked up a pair of wins on Tuesday. To open the day, Jones defeated Alberta’s Valerie Sweeting 9-7 in the morning draw and proceeded to pick up a 10-7 victory over Kelly Scott of B.C.

“We played a small bit better,” Jones said. “We’re still not as excellent as we want to be but I thought we had a excellent day today.

“It was a tough day for us. We played some excellent teams.”

‘We picked it up’

Eliminating mistakes is something Jones is hoping to improve on moving forward.

“We certainly played better today,” Jones said. “We picked it up and made some huge shots, but missed a couple of shots that we’d like to have back. We’ve got to eliminate the steals and, I reckon if we do that, we have a excellent shot.”

Other evening draw action saw Quebec’s Eve Belisle defeat Sharon Cormier’s Northwest Territories/Yukon rink 6-5.

Meanwhile, Andrea Kelly’s New Brunswick foursome topped Amber Holland of Saskatchewan 8-7 after scoring once in the tenth end.

Saskatchewan opened the game by scoring three in the opening frame and held a 6-1 lead in the fifth end.

Finally, Nancy McConnery’s Nova Scotia rink picked up its first victory of the tournament, beating Shelley Nichols of Newfoundland and Labrador 7-6.

B.C., Quebec and Manitoba sit at 4-3 after Draw 11, followed by New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta, which all stand at 3-4.

Newfoundland and Northwest Territories/Yukon are 2-5, with Nova Scotia at 1-6.

The roster makeover for the Toronto Maple Leafs had an immediate impact on Tuesday evening.

Newcomers Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Fredrik Sjostrom and Dion Phaneuf each made a strong first impression in their debut performances for the Leafs, who managed to snap a six-game losing streak with a 3-0 victory against the New Jersey Devils at the Air Canada Centre.

With the addition of the three players, bought in separate deals with the Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, there certainly was a buzz in the building that hasn’t been felt for some time as another listless season has developed for the Leafs.

The crowd of 19,326 was appreciative that the Leafs’ league-worst penalty killing was better. They also liked the fact that Toronto didn’t blow a three-goal lead like it did last Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks, and that Giguere immediately improved the NHL’s highest goals-against average (3.48) with his 30-save shutout.

Giguere became only the second Toronto goalie to record a shutout in his Leafs debut. The other was Ed Belfour, who beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-0 on Oct. 10, 2002.

Giguere wasn’t overworked and that was a excellent thing because he is rusty. He’s a Stanley Cup-winning netminder that played more than 55 games for five straight seasons until last year, when Jonas Hiller shared the workload with him in Anaheim.

“Absolutely, the guys played well in front of me,” Giguere said. “They blocked a lot of shots [17]. All together it was a excellent start.”

The 32-year-ancient Giguere made only his 21st appearance this season. But if he can quickly find his form as he reunites with his mentor, Leafs goaltending coach Francois Allaire, all of a sudden the Leafs will have their best puck stopper since Belfour.

“I’m a small rusty,” said Giguere, who admitted he was nervous before the game and winded afterwards. “I won’t lie to you, my game needs some work. I’m looking forward to working hard and with Francois. Hopefully, it won’t take long, but I was pretty tired at the end of the game.”

Giguere was in position all game and got some help from the post when Devils centre Travis Zajac clanked a shot off the iron late in the second period. Leafs rookie Christian Hanson, who played centre, swept the loose puck out of harm’s way. It was the Leafs fourth shutout of the season and the 33rd of Giguere’s NHL career.

The 26-year-ancient Sjostrom, who chipped in an help on his second shift, will no doubt help the Leafs hapless penalty killing. He was paired with linemate and fellow Swede Rickard Wallin as the lead forward duo on penalty kills. They got results as the Devils went 0-for-2 in man-advantage situations against Toronto.

“I’m surprised how comfortable I felt out there,” Sjostrom said. “Penalty killing is all about communication. Richard and I talked a lot before the game, and on the ice, and we were able to work hard and get the job done. It was exciting.”

Phaneuf a physical force

Phaneuf was a physical force in his first game with the Leafs. This was a welcome sight for Toronto coach Ron Wilson. He and general manager Brian Burke boasted in training camp that the Leafs would be much more hard to play against this season. But that proved to be a bunch of baloney. Until Phaneuf arrived, anyway.

He rocked New Jersey forward Rob Niedermayer along the boards early in the game, then took a run at sniper Zach Parise a few shifts later in the New Jersey end. This prompted Devils defenceman Colin White to step in. He and Phaneuf tussled and the new Leafs blue-liner, who was paired with Francois Beauchemin, immediately won over his new teammates and fans with his ruggedness.

“He was sticking up for his teammate and that’s part of the game,” Phaneuf said of White. “I wasn’t going to say no.

“This was certainly a special game in my career — a huge first game and the fans were excellent.”

Wilson was impressed with the upbeat leadership and energy Phaneuf brought to the Leafs dressing room.

“You could hear him from the coaches’ room, which is two hallways and three doors away,” Wilson said.

But before the Toronto supporters start to plot the parade route, it should be pointed out that the Devils are a struggling team right now with out Patrik Elias. They have won only three of their past 10 games and backup goalie Yann Danis was in goal to give 37-year-ancient workhorse Martin Brodeur a rest.

The Leafs loved a 1-0 lead after first period and improved that advantage by two more in the second period. Nikolai Kulemin popped in Sjostrom’s rebound for a 1-0 lead. Phil Kessel scored his third goal in the past two games and 18th of the season when he trailed on the play early in the second period.

Beauchemin blasted in his point shot on the power play with less than six minutes remaining in the second.

Jennifer Graves-Smith walked away from Halifax West High School on Tuesday afternoon. (Halifax Regional Police)Halifax police are asking for the public’s help finding an 18-year-ancient with autism who didn’t show up for her bus ride home from school Tuesday afternoon.

Jennifer Graves-Smith was last seen leaving Halifax West High School at about 3:30 p.m. She is a special-needs student and was reported missing when she did not take her assigned bus home.

Staff Sgt. Darrell Gaudet of Halifax police said in a release that someone saw Graves-Smith walking on a wooded pathway toward Keshen Goodman Public Library on Lacewood Drive, and she has not been seen since.

She is described as white, about five feet eight inches tall and 130 pounds, with shoulder-length brown hair. Graves-Smith was last seen wearing a blue Columbia Sportswear jacket and carrying a red and black backpack. She would likely have the hood on her jacket pulled over her head, police said.

“The thing with her is basically … if she is approached by people, a lot of times she will turn away,” said Gaudet. “That is a concern for us too as we’re out here looking for her.”

Police handed out flyers Tuesday with Graves-Smith’s picture in the Clayton Park and Bayers Lake communities. Halifax Regional Search and Rescue were also called to help in the search because of the terrain.

Halifax Regional Search and Rescue members look for Jennifer Graves-Smith on Tuesday. (CBC)Many of the searchers were bundled with scarves and hats in an effort to keep out the freezing temperatures, which dipped to at least –20 C.

“Basically this is out of her normal pattern. She does miss her bus the odd time, but she will return home a small time later. So this is out of her normal pattern,” said Gaudet.

Police do not believe the teen has been the victim of foul play.

Anyone with information is questioned to contact Halifax Regional Police.