SOUR MAPLE SYRUP

I've been in a state of shock since my beloved Team Canada bowed out of the Oly tourney. Not because they didn't make the gold medal final, because of the way they didn't make the gold medal final. Never have I witnessed at group of talented Canadians play such non-passionate, sloth-like hockey. They moved up and down the ice like they had rubber boots on in a mud field and their puck speed was even more constipated than that.

And as far as chemistry goes? Well they just proved that chemistry is that special element that's produced year to year or tournament to tournament, not year after year or tourney after tourney. The Finns are exhibit A of that.

The Americans did what they could with what they had, and were close in virtually every game. But this wasn't horseshoes or hand grenades now was it.

Both of the North American entries will be heavily second guessed for not including more of their youth in the Torino Games. It's easy to Monday Morning G.M. but it sure seemed like it would have served a purpose to expose the Suters and Parises on team USA, and the Crosbys and Staals on Team Canada, amongst others, to these Olympics with an eye on 2010 in Vancouver.

Oh well, at least Jagr and those stinky Czechs won't win.

So, it'll be an all-Scandinavian gold medal game on Sunday.

Finland vs Sweden.

Just as I predicted Friday morning on The Ticket. (Call me Puckstradamus henceforward.)

And, to the winner shall go the spoils.

In this case: A medal, a sauna and some custom cross-country skis?