BRING ON THE HOSERS:

A shot at gold: Team Canada fends off furious late rally to edge Slovakia 3-2 (Rosie DiManno, 2/27.10, Toronto Star)

With a weird complement of semis out of the way – Finland and Slovakia? No Russia, no Czechs, no Swedes? – the world has unfolded like an NBC peacock fanning its feathers open, amidst visions of a record TV audience.

But Lordy-Lordy, that was scary, Team Canada one goalpost away from blowing a three-goal lead against Slovakia on Friday, hanging on desperately for a 3-2 victory.

We, North of the 49th Parallel, don't have to be lured into hockey-hockey-hockey eyes-on – would have been quite content with any finals opponent – but there would have been keening across the land had Team Canada somehow bungled it against the impressive, underestimated and wildly underdog Slovaks last night.