Russia/Canada Revisit the Summit Series

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

Gerry Dee as Wayne Cashman.

Edited September 5, 2012 by cusimano_brothers

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

IMO, Clarke's actions devalue him as a human being, and his coach too. Also, that slash knocked out the best Soviet player (Kharlamov) effectively for the rest of the series. Who knows what might have been?

If the refs called the series fair, Canada wouldn't have had to rely on the heroic goal from Paul Henderson to win. They likely would have won the series 6-2. Also, if all the NHLers that didn't show up would have played in the series against "the best the Russians had to offer" they would have won more convincingly. Only 1 name needed to end the Kharlamov debate....Bobby Orr.

[sibiriak 84]

If the refs called the series fair, Canada wouldn't have had to rely on the heroic goal from Paul Henderson to win. They likely would have won the series 6-2. Also, if all the NHLers that didn't show up would have played in the series against "the best the Russians had to offer" they would have won more convincingly. Only 1 name needed to end the Kharlamov debate....Bobby Orr.

If other NHLers weren't there, that wasn't the Russians fault. Canada brought the team it did, so that must have been the best they had at the moment.

As to the refs, the Russians think the same thing . North American refs worked 4 games and tEuropean refs worked 4 games. Any bias, difference in style, varying understanding of what constitutes a foul, should cancel out over the series.

Also I thought Orr was hurt and couldn't play? So that wasn't gonna happen anyway. Kharlamov, on the other hand did play... until Clarke's slash that is.

Edited September 6, 2012 by sibiriak

[GMRwings1983 8,801]

If the refs called the series fair, Canada wouldn't have had to rely on the heroic goal from Paul Henderson to win. They likely would have won the series 6-2. Also, if all the NHLers that didn't show up would have played in the series against "the best the Russians had to offer" they would have won more convincingly. Only 1 name needed to end the Kharlamov debate....Bobby Orr.

Bobby Hull would have also made a difference.

But Canada would have had a tough time against the Soviets either way. Their team was together all year, while Canada's team needed time to gel together.

[sibiriak 84]

Bobby Hull would have also made a difference.

But Canada would have had a tough time against the Soviets either way. Their team was together all year, while Canada's team needed time to gel together.

Where do you guys get this idea that the Soviet team trained together year round? That's not true. The guys on the team all played for different higher division teams, and they were with their club teams for most of the season. The national team usually got together for 3-4 weeks before World Championships and maybe for a few days before an "Izvestia" tournament and maybe a couple of other times during the year. Which still would have given them more team cohesion than Canada, but it was a far cry from playing together year round.

Also, what prevented Canadian coaches from using lines from the same NHL team, that played together regularly, if they thought that was such an advantage?

Edited September 6, 2012 by sibiriak

[GMRwings1983 8,801]

Where do you guys get this idea that the Soviet team trained together year round? That's not true. The guys on the team all played for different higher division teams, and they were with their club teams for most of the season. The national team usually got together for 3-4 weeks before World Championships and maybe for a few days before an "Izvestia" tournament and maybe a couple of other times during the year. Which still would have given them more team cohesion than Canada, but it was a far cry from playing together year round.

Also, what prevented Canadian coaches from using lines from the same NHL team, that played together regularly, if they thought that was such an advantage?

North American propaganda, man.

It's also rumored they trained in the snow without their shirts on, and karate chopped tree barks to toughen themselves up.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

It's a shame that Paul Henderson is mostly remembered only for his "historic goal". He provided a whole lot more than just the final goal.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

Thanks to the efforts of Down Goes Brown, this historic document has been "found".

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

I was in a local Chapters store today and saw new books by Andrew Podnieks , Canadian rock icon Dave Bidini and Paul Henderson on the subject.

[evilmrt 636]

Ok, this is a potentially nice consolation prize in the face of the imminent lockout. Dreger reports tonight:

‏@DarrenDreger

As has been reported, Hockey Can and NHLPA discussing a Can-Rus series involving locked out NHL players. Part of 40th anniversary of 72.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

It would be remiss, on my part, if this was not mentioned:

Game Five, First Period, Kharlamov, slashing, 12:25.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Go Datsyuk finally his old club gets to see the Coperfield of icehockey happy for him.

Edited September 16, 2012 by frankgrimes

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

Enjoy: Toronto Star.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

Tonight on TSN:

7:30 PM Team Canada Rewind: 1972 Summit Series - Game 8 Revisited (40th Anniversary)

Edited September 26, 2012 by cusimano_brothers

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

[GMRwings1983 8,801]

So would this count as one of the biggest chokejobs in hockey history?

The Russians were up 3-1-1, with three games left to go, and all on Russian soil. And in the final game, they were up by 2 goals after the second intermission. Yet they still somehow lost the series.

Granted, they were heavy underdogs going into the series, but it's still a massive collapse as far as I'm concerned.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

In a word, no. Besides,

Tretiak:

God give him that goal. I wish Henderson not fall down behind net because maybe he never get up and never be in front of net and score. Lucky, just lucky. I make first save. Defense no help me. Why? Vasiliev and Liapkin no help me.

Even forty years ago, "thrown under the bus" was being done in the Soviet Union.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

Forty-five years ago today; one event, two images:

28 September 1972.

From left: image by Frank Lennon, Toronto Star; image by Denis Brodeur, Montréal Matin.  

If you look at the lower right, you can see a group of photographers, this is the spot where Frank

Lennon and Denis Brodeur shot the goal from.