The Hockey News - Greatest Games (USA)
1987 CANADA VS. USSR
‘GRETZKY TO LEMIEUX’
Ehanavde faor‘Gothldoesne Gwoahlo,’ VERY DECADE SEEMS TO Canada Cruepmefimnable,r“Gtrheetzk1y98t7o gLoemalieouf xt”hewa1s98C0asn.aIdna’tshgeocldloesniGrnirogetmLzekomymipeeaunsxts,eowdfhtGhoaemfpireuec3dk, iWtoaoMyvneaerthe glove of Soviet Union goaltenIdt weraSsethrgeegiaMmyeln-wikionvn.er in the deciding game of a hard-fought Sseorviiest.sG6a-m5ein1 wovaesrtwimone,bwyhthile iGnamdoeu2blweaosvwerotnimbey. CAandadwa h6i-l5e Ctoarnioaudsa iunltGimamate l3y–emagearigne, dbyviacnbideetnhteictaela6m-5’ssbciogrgee–stitcphraollveendgeto. plaCyaenrasdina thaedwtohreldt woitghrGearetetzstkUyniaond’sLfeamiedux‘.GBruetentheUnSiotv’ ioetf Igor Larionov, Sergei Makarov, VtolnadoivmiarndKrVuitaocvh, eAsleavxeiFeKtaissoavwsqausaadrgouf ahbolcyktehye pbleasytefrisvein-mtahne world. wJAeMgoEtStoPIAGtTawRmaIeCsn3K’.t:W(gTereaamvwyCeantrhaedaat defenseman)
on the brink of elimination in wGaemwee2re. Iatbwleastoinpcurlelditibolfef tahnadt tfohracteGGaammeIe3r3ewm. aesmgboeinrgthtoinbkeinag DOUG CROSSMAN: (Team Canada defenseman)
whirsittoeraicbalegttaemr sec. rYioput.couldn’t
I gkanmewe.iTt hwaatswgaosinthgetofubnepaahrat.rd GRANT FUHR: (Team Canada goalie)
YTsiohvue kRfinurespwsioaiwtnwesrha, asdngdoaislnogtdtoiofdcowoffme.nedown to the last shot.
It was the best VALERI KAMENSKY: (Soviet
Etovuernyaomn enwthIoervemr pelmaybedrsin. Union left winger)
btheesstehgoacmkeeysesvaeyrspitlawyaesd,thfoer BplRaIyAeNrs aPnRdOfoPrPf:an(Tse.am
It was a crazy night. Every
Canada left winger) lfiakne wanasOliynmtopitchevegnamt. e. It was
The Russians CRAIG HARTSBURG: (Team
waesresuacghreaaftinheoclikneeybtetawme.eInt Canada defenseman)
tweianmniingtahnadt sleorsiensg. for either
It was a very passionSERGEI NEMCHINOV: (Soviet
antedgCaamnea,dwiainthptlhaeyebress. tItRwusasian Union center)
unbelievable hockey. TWbehhtewerne ewwnaeCspaslnatiaylldeada baRinugdsrsRiivaua,slirstyijau.st BRENT SUTTER: (Team Canada center)
asewemhoelde ldikifefeoruenr tglaemv el.went to
No pre-game pep talk was necessary from Team Canada coach Mike Keenan to get his group ready. HtoefAagmRreT.aSMtBalUerakRdGMe:reTshsieperreo, Wnwtaahysanatelot Gretzky, Brent Sutter. There wWcaeeprteaislnkosemdofaatnbhyoeugirtutoyhswetnhgaatetmawemeasrn.ed being ready. I don’t think there swaaysbaelfotrethtehecogacmhe.s had to
Mike didn’t say anytwoheibnhegalbdeeatcdoaedurose. Wwe kanllekwnewwhahtow
PROPP:
When you have a group
PAUL COFFEY: (Team Canada defenseman)
owfagnutytsolwikientahnadt, agrueyswwillhinog
to do anything for each other awnhdotleheloirt cthoautnntreye, dthsetroeb’sensoatida. MThIeKyEwKeErEeNeAasNy: t(oTeacmoaCacnhad. aTchoaecyh)
watehrletreesailnlytmheogtiavmate.d. The best
There were a lot dofogni’fttreedahlloycnkeeydptloayceorasc.hYothuat.
CROSSMAN:
Both teams come charging out of the gate, eager to score the all-important first goal. Just
26 seconds into the game, Krutov sets up Makarov to give the Soviets a 1-0 lead.
Krutov, Makarov and aLnardiopnuocvk hmaodvienmcreendti.ble speed
PATRICK:
of butterflies, Tahnedrwe hweenrethaelyot
CROSSMAN:
gsceottriendg, oitffwtaosthliekew, “rUonhgosht,awrte.”’re
We didn’t get the sptlarytinwgeawgarneatetdte. Wame, wehriech we
SUTTER:
sweerries, twooh.eIrtewthaseogname oefstwhoesre gsointgigahwt.aWy aenhdadpltuogkgeinegpapwluagy-.
Alexei Gusarov and Fetisov each score to give the Soviets a commanding 3-0 lead eight minutes into the first period.
out flyTinhge. RI udsosni’atntshijnukstwcaeme
RICK TOCCHET: (Team Canada right
winger) twhergeapdmolaewy.in 3g-t0hat bthaed,sbtaurttwofe first period veWryefcoacmuseeidn.tTohthee
KAMENSKY:
TlCoahonasate’dsaiwat nthhytewasmteawrwteaonsfttauhlpeitg3tla-e0mb. eit.
They took advantage of some mistakes
HARTSBURG:
akthnnidenwkjuawmnepybehdoaduypthpeeaanprilecyok. pIeldeo. oWnn’teour tuesabmactkhaint tco uitl.dWsecojurestacnodugldent ’t dfaildlna’ntyaftuerththeer fbireshtinpde,raiondd. we
The Soviets came icnhekmnoiswtrinygweaascthhoetrhee. Tr.hTehye’ve
CROSSMAN:
Tibneheienytephrlanadyaiatniobgnotanoldgteotthuherernreaf,mothreeynyetas.rs wknitehwouwtheevreenelaocohkointgh.eWr we as wtoeeagrmeethtcoehtreamilnlyifsodtruifyrfehwraeednetkto.sO.cBuorumtethe htailgehnthleavt eitl doifdo.ur team was so
DALE HAWERCHUK: (Team Canada
a lot of hWocekekynetowbteheprlaeyweda.s
left winger)
Wstaeyjeudstdhisacdiptolinmeadkaensduwreewreen’t in the penalty box all night. It btwhaacstkewianertlofyeiletn.liokuegwh eincothueldgagmete
We were down but
LARRY MURPHY: (Team Canada
nofoftenosuitv. eWteawme.rTehaenaebxipliltoystivoe,
defenseman)
score was there. We had to score, obviously. We couldn’t get ourselves down any farther. Pofreusrsguernecwy wasabsubiuldilidnign.gS.eWnsee dknoeiwt, swoealhlawdatshneoptelrossotn. Bnuelt to something had to change.
Kudos to Mike Keenan as the coach. We were down
COFFEY:
3-0 before people were even iknntohwenirfsoerabtse.inMgik‘CeawpatasinalwHoayosk’ aknepdtpGurlalintgFtuhhergionatlhiee.rBeu. At hned Grant just played incredible the rest of the game. faagcrt,eiaftitdweaGalrsoanfn’tctfogonarfviGedretahnecte,t.weIanem’d
KEENAN:
tphraonbathbrlyeeb.eHdeohwand bgyivmenorues sesohveomnualcdnryoresgmsremoavytegmhaimnmde. st,hiat tdIidn’t spolamyedtimTa heseismwEidleamrgaosvntyetlouen,pwOshiolemres
FUHR:
ethaerldyagyoIalksn, ebwuttahtethgueyesncdooufld score goals. If I gave up three, Ifojusrthtroiende.nTohtatto’sgtihve ubpigtgheast gtuhepitnsugos,tbhrayecgnkuoiytnsttohagevivgeeaamthceha.tanocne
to the tacticsW. Wehnaetewd edetmopclhoaynegde
KEENAN:
up to that point in the early stages of Game 3 wasn’t working. So I wasn’t hesitant, nor was I throughout my career, ftroomatkheeabdejnucsthm. Iennthsiqs uciacskel,y atihoonssegdeinfferaetnetdliandeicffoemrebnint ostfytlaecotifcpsltahyaatnthdeaSdoivffierteUnntisoent wasn’t ready for.
One of those tactics pays off immediately when Tocchet breaks through for Canada. He slams in a rebound off Murphy’s spheoritoadtothneth9e:5p0owmearrkploafy.the first
the power pMlaikye, apnudt hmoenoeustlyo,nI TOCCHET:
thought he was out of his mind. bTehnecphl,aGyreertsztkhya, tLweme iheaudx,oanntdhat he puts me out there? I was pKrEeEtNtyAnNe:rWvohuast. we wanted to do was be unpredictable. The uRnicpkreTdoicccthaebtiloitnytohfeppuottwinegr play, making many different clihnaencgoems binintaetrimonsso, fI tahcitnikcsthaantd wUnaisosnotmeaemthidnigdnth’tadt ethalewSiotvhiet very well. They were accustaonmd eddefteonrsoivlleinpgaoiruint gthseinir olirndeesr. So, that was a new concept for tkhneomw, hanowd tthoehyadnidlne’titq.uViitketor Tikhonov, the Soviet Union’s coach, continued to look over epuwzeznletdoenx. patreosusriobnenacshthweitghama knew wOenhcaedwaecmhandceei.tT3h-a1t,’ws e
FUHR: tohetrbuisgtgtehsattthwinegh,awdeajuchstanhcaed.
PROPP: When Tocchet scored the first goal, that gave us a little hope. the puck onThtheethnientg. Bwaattsleto. Gget
MURPHY: enveet.rJyutmhipngown erecboouuldndgse.tTahtatthe whzoaanrsdet.phTreherasestsuguroletalionwf thahasertdohfewfebonerskgii,vnening of it. to scoreWgeokanlse. wIt weaswjuerset agoing
FUHR: kmthnaotwtmeryuoocufhw’rteahlenenon.tWgtohgienengthyteooru,gyopout gsceotroenles, sa.nWdeifkwnewgowt oenweo, tuhlden twbhoead’tdy’spsttrhiolelbhbaaibgdlgycegosetnttfihtdwienong.c.Eev, earnyd
A little over five minutes later, at 15:23 of the first period, Tocchet battles for the puck behind
the Soviet net and dishes it to Sutter, who bangs it towards the net. Propp swats in the rebound, pulling Canada to within a goal.
I was playing a little dgaemfeens.ivIneltyhientthhierdfigrsatmtwe,oI was
PROPP:
mgeottrienogpinentowthitehpfolaryecahnedcbkeiningg, awmdeorirfefeargceatnivcneestbfotehrceamuwes.aello. uItrmb acdkes
The crowd was ocgrouatzlty.hTaehfrteen.rM, wMeeiaksnecdoprPuetrdoupospubyra, fcikrst
TOCCHET:
wWfoeuerkdtnhide-lwwinhoeaugtruwryoesleohsna.dWthtoeiswdteoearomeu.t tchaeurgeh,twsiotmh BergeonotdSmutotemr,eanntdum cgwyoacinletgeiodt,utgroewtgteahtye.thOpenupctkhuactkot sithnhiedfte, ewpe, Tnehta,ta’snedxmacatklyewthhiantgws headpipde. n. Since weItwweares daopwhynsbicyaal game.
PROPP:
ictoaupliltetleofbgitomalso,rwe.eWheadwteoreforce avenrdybpehyinsidcatlhienntehte. corners
Sutter and Tocchet, ahwneeadrvegyupoyhnsysltiihkcealft,ohcreaemucsh,ewdcektnuatrnnindovers
PATRICK: and crashed the net.
Things weren’t happening for guys who were
SUTTER:
studs offensively. So, the grinders on this team, the guys that were playing different roles cothlniactnkhitenhigre.yoEwvenoruyteldpalmnayoser, rmstoanrlltytehdpislay NteHamL twe ams a. Wbihgepnlayyoeurgoent tinhteoira tourndaemrsetnatnldikaentdhiasc, cyeoput’vaedgiof-t ifte,raecntturaol lye.. You’ve got to relish
The players were very open-minded and were
KEENAN:
willing to accept any role that was given to them. no,fatInhhdeitnthtehete.nFRIruowsmesnitathnteodreteh,fetehnefsreomnat
PROPP: puck deflected off (the defensemwasn’asb)lseidtoe.hLiut cthkeilydefoflremctieo,nI icnotmo ethferonmetb. Weheinsdti.lWl headhatdo to keep pressing. team and thItebbruoiuldgihntgliwfeetnotthe TOCCHET:
acrdadzys.oWme kenewrgyoutor rtohleetwe ams t. o
The Soviets strike again, with a otreanlgelyaibnpyeawrtiowindog,-egrtohAaenl deSrdeogiveKi.ehTtohmrUounutigoohnv late in the first period at 19:32, to leads 4-2.
For every great play we made, someone on the
PATRICK:
Soviet Union would come back and make a great play. our dressing roMoimkedcuarminegitnhteo
HARTSBURG:
fcoiafrlstmht eilnyg,t“reYeroamutei’srssetiocgonomiannegbdtaoscabkiedinpvaerty Canadian hockey history.” That cwaalms a, chouogleamndescsoallgeec.tMedik, aenwdas ghoeijnugstorewininfotrhcedhothcakteywgeawmeer.e We were going to find a way.
Canada was on the defensive for most of the first period but finds its groove in the second. uHparhtsisbtueragmlemvaetlsesY.uri Khmylev at the Soviet Union blueline, firing
That hit that Hartsy hmpaoapidnpete, wnwiahnsegprferoorthbuiasnb.glys sattaurrtending
SUTTER:
Craig had knee and hip problems in his career,
CROSSMAN:
amnedntdooduos.wHheawt ahsetdhirdowainsgtrhei-s body out there. He knew that’s wahsant’ht ehohladdintgo adnoyttohiwnignb. Hacek. He was representing Canada.
There were a lot tohfaptlafoyuenrsdian wthaayt tsoecroanisde ptheerior d
HARTSBURG:
mtoethaendteadmd. aNnoet mjuostiLoenmalieleuvxegal and SGurettezrk.yI,tlwooaks atloTtooccfhgeutys wnohtojufosut nond tahwe asycotroecboonatrrdib. ute, Everyone had to find a way to cghamaneg,eanthdeamt tohme entdumof oitf, tohuart top players came through when eitvreerayltlyhicnoTguhcnehteamdno.gmede.nTtuhme toimf ing
SUTTER: to make those hits was bettWere. Wwerwe eskreatminogvbinegttoeur.rWfeet. weren’t on our heels anymore. We were going after them.
Mark Messier would charge in and punish
CROSSMAN:
tdhoeni’rt dmeafeknesteomo emna. nTyhemSisotvaikeets . Ttohgeeythpelar.yBmutoMrealrikewaams raacthtliinneg that machine. I know he hit gFoetinisgovatqiut.itAenadbRitic. kThTeoyccwherte was hammering, too. That uconusgehttslepdu. cks up and gets them
When we hit the ice, I just felt the sudden urge to be
TOCCHET:
rnFeeateildslyoevdphatoynsdbiceaalhll,ittbh.eoAcsnaedugstuehyaIstkwneaws that’s what the team needed. dsominegthinintgh atcsoeurpielse. of us liked to play theTShoeviweatsywaeshtaod
PATRICK:
be aggressive and physical faonrdecbhreincgk.the energy to the
Playing inspired hockey, Team wCaitnhaindaonbeattgleosal.itsGrwetazykyb,aicnkhtios “office” behind the opponent’s net, passes the puck out to Murphy, who streaks in from the point to the faceoff dot, then unloads a rocket past Mylnikov for Canada’s third goal at 9:30 of the second period.
When you’ve got yWoauyfnee lGcroentzfikdyewntith atht ehep’usck,
MURPHY:
ghoaipnpgetno. Imf yaokeu swoemre tohpineng and gwoeirnegatogogoedt tohpetpiounc,khteowyaosu. I cwaamsejutsotmwea.itIinhagdfotrimite, atnodloiot k and then just fired away.
We had the talennet. OWneehsahdoth, ant dtyipt’es oinf athbeility.
CROSSMAN:
I was never in fear that we gcoifuteld nshoot oscteorse.oWn eouhradtesaumch.
Less than two minutes later, Crossman rushes deep into the
Soviet zone and picks up the puck in the corner, then dishes it to Hawerchuk.
I remember getting the puck behind the net
HAWERCHUK:
taondjatmhitnhkisinign,?“”AAmllIogfoainsugdtodetnry, Bgoreondt. Iompeandseuappiansfsrotonthipmre, tatnyd he makes a great shot.
Dale ended up with twhaesp1u0ckfe, eatnodffhtehfedstirtotnogm-seid. eI
SUTTER:
hpiogsht., TanhdeiIrwgoaanltiedhtaodsahoteont-it kgdeientndecnyooftouagshcorodufomiwt, ntbo.eIgcwaeutasisteauibtplwe atos over his shoulder. It was obvitohuesltyimaeb.ig goal for our team at
Sutter’s shot ties the game 4-4 at 11:06 of the second, and so far, most of Canada’s goals have come from the “grinders.”
In that game, I was able to help out offensively. We
SUTTER:
ywthoeurteheatahvmee.stOoon-hcavltleadgmugyrlsinkiednetchresarto-,n otauirntreoalmes..BTuhtaTt owcacsheotu,rBroialenfor fawonhudortIphslcalioynreedsdo. Wnf ttehhawetethreeiarmtdh.aengduys hcenwtearsno’nt otShnuetTtIeesarlamwndaCseartnsha,edbtauo.tp
PATRICK:
SGutytserlikheadTodcifcfheeret,nPtrroplepsaonnd othuer ctheaemck.iTnhgogsueygs.uIyrsewmeerme befefrecthtiovseethgeuylassbtetiwnog sguapmeers- of the series.
Hockey is a game obfacmkofmroemnttuhme ,tahnredeu-gsocaolmdeinfigcit
KEENAN:
turned momentum in our favor.
We’re really rolling now. We’ve got momenotumr
HAWERCHUK: l.iTnheadtowinags a lcootmobf yineaotmioannof wthoermk dinotwhne,iranenddf,ingarlilnydginetgting athgeairnesruiglht.tTahfteenr.we scored
About four minutes later, at 15:32 of the second period, Hawerchuk fires a shot on net, which is blocked by Mylnikov, then goes hard after his own rebound. Sutter checks a Soviet Union defender, which allows Hawerchuk to collect the puck ifsoragaawinrabploarcokuenddbaytttehmepStotvhieatt
goalie. But Hawerchuk’s third try finally gets past Mylnikov and ggaivmese,C5a-n4a.da its first lead of the
I tried to make a power move to the net, and HAWERCHUK: got cut off, then ended up wrapping it around and staying with my rebound.
Sutter was throwing his body around like CROSSMAN: hCeupalwianynsedr.oHese. kHnee’swawShtantlheey jhuasdt atogdreoattowwililnt.oTwheinre. was
We were the checkers, the guys who had to go and
SUTTER:
tchreinagtes theateynoeurgnyeaenddtoddoothfoer your team to have success.
I was playing alesftcewnitnegr oan da TlioncecwheithoSnutthter
HAWERCHUK:
right side. We were the bumpWanady-ngeritnodolkincea.rMe oarfiaolaontdof the gbutht rinouGgahmoeut3t,hoeutroluinrenamsceonritn, had a really strong game. The Soviets were playing tight oconuGldrent’tzkeyxpaencdt tLheemmietuoxs. cWoree oevuerrlyingeogaol.tIittws masogjoogdoitnhgatin that game. We played a lot. Kouetenthaenrjeubsteckaeupstethreokwnienwg uwse were rolling.
The first 12 minutes of the third period pass by without incident. No penalties, no goals. iImt papropbeaabrsleCaannaddahomldaythdeo Sthoeviets scoreless for a second straight period. Then Alexander Semak ties the game at 12:21 of the frame, setting up a tense final seven-and-a-half minutes of hockey.
Every save you make nsaivt’es.tTiehdat5’s-5aigsiavneniminpaortwahnet
FUHR:
wide-open game like that.
Canada ices the puck with 1:36 left in regulation, giving the Soviets a faceoff deep in the Canadian zone. Instead of thinking defensively at a crucial moment, Keenan does the opposite.
In today’s game, if it’s otiuetdf5o-r5a, wfahceooafrfeinththeyeipruotwting
COFFEY:
gzounyse.?TShoa-tc’asltlehde dperofebnlesimve with the game today. It’s so oHveeprcuotsacmheda.nBduMt nuortpKheaetntahne. panodinMt. aWrke hMaedssBireer,nttwSoutotfetrhe pgrlaeyattehset gfacmeoe,fftamken tooffetvheer GHicraeew, tazenkrdcyhtouhuketn, tLhKeeemreeine. aunx tahnrdows put their sTtrhoenSgoevsiteutsnidtiodn’t
KEENAN:
tshuerpicreisteh. eI nw, awshviecrhywsausrparised theyred. iTdhna’t ’hsanvoetLaanrionndoicvt-out wacaksnsoowml edthgiendgatnhdeyleparronbeadbly at that point. I felt we had the momentum and the persononfefletnosigvoeloynatghgereasttsaivcek. and be
Messier was on Mthiekeicteo, lbdumt heetowgaos pchreatntgyetifroerd.
HAWERCHUK:
Ghirmet.zSkoy, aI nwdenLtemouiet uthxe, arendwIith tsakide toheWdaryanwe?, ”“DHoe ysoaiudw“Nanot.”to tTohteankIestahiids tfaocMeoafrfi?o”, a“Ynoduhwe ant msayidw, irnonFrgesnicdhe,.”“SNo,,Ingou,ethssatI’s fwirasst taimkiengthtahtegdarmawe. for the
In today’s game, that wbeosuoldmne’ thianpgpderna.wTnheurpe,’dand
COFFEY:
one player would have to go here, and the other guy would gcroetdhiet rteo. MIt’iskecrKaezey.nBaunt. Mit’iskea hyoaud pthlaeyu. ncanny ability to let
Mike rolled the dice odnifftehre nfatcoenoftfhteoddroawso, manedthiting
SUTTER:
worked to perfection. draw, I told MarJiuosthbaetfoI rweatshe
HAWERCHUK:
just going to tie up their center, which means for that winger to come in and try to pick up the oputcka.nIyt cboeuttledrn. ’t have worked
While Hawerchuk ties up Soviet center Vyacheslav Bykov in the faceoff circle, Lemieux picks up the loose puck, goes around a Soviet defender to break out of the zone, then passes up to Gretzky. Bykov is bearing down on Lemieux but is hooked by Hawerchuk at the red line, falling at the blueline.
I was going Bupykiocev.wHiethwtahsetirycienngtetormgeatn,
HAWERCHUK:
bjuasctkinintetorftehreinpglawyi,tahnhdimI waalsittle abtitt,hwehticmhew. Iadsikdin’dt wofanaltlohwimed to get back in and break up the odd-man rush. away witWheamhoigohkt. hItawveasgolitkten
PROPP:
tohoe pmlauycohf.fs, the refs don’t call
That hooking was going on the whole time in
HAWERCHUK:
that era. You could hook a guy for one stride, and then you’d let go. As soon as I put my stick odnowBnyk, porvoablaibttllyetbhiitn, khienfglothpapteidf he lost a stride, he wouldn’t be getting back in the play.
Canada has a 3-on-1 with Gretzky, Lemieux and Murphy. Igor Stelnov is the lone defender.
When we got possession of it, I remember
TOCCHET:
thinking, “Jeez, this could be an soeded9-m9an dru6s6h.o” nAnand owdhde-nmyaonu rush, their conversion rate is pretty high.
Murphy drives hard to the net. Stelnov falls to try to prevent a pass from Gretzky to Murphy. But Gretzky drops the puck back to Lemieux, who blasts it past the glove of Mylnikov and into the net. Canada takes a 6-5 lead with 1:26 remaining.
My god, that wTahsaatwersisotmseh.ot.
CROSSMAN:
and Wayne GrMetazrkioy Lpelamyeiedux
KAMENSKY:
iunntbheeliwevhaoblletionutrhnaatmsernite.s and
We were all ptgorreeoatvtteyersmtimupcleah.yApernrsedpotafhroeundrtthoiemgtoewgoet
HARTSBURG:
athnaotdlads-tmgaonalrfursohm. Wthaetcbheincgh, hitawpapsenaelmd.oTsht asut rgroeaallahlmowostthat hItewroaos fporfeftotyf CamopapzsinCgo. lisbeleuwmt.
For sure, I knew WMaryinoe. Twhaastgwoainsgthtoe plaasys. Btout
MURPHY:
Igabothilneoguogptohtitpofanos,rssotuotrhmeeMeir. aIgrwoioalswteansvdie-r hmaedatlosob.eI cdoidnnce’trfnaecdtoarboonuthe smbceooinrreegsoihnpeteihotanftosprfothsriauttisognaonacdlrebmautoterde trouble for the Soviets.
I love Larry Murphy, and I don’t think there’s anybody
COFFEY: that anticipated that play better, but for him to beat me up the ice? Nobody beats me up the ice. (laughs)
I actually thought lMaagbareiinloe,dbwuaantsdhgeophiunatgditttothopapta-scssohreitnlfe.
TOCCHET:
r Gretzky to Lemieux, you had othneegorfetahtesgtrpeastessetrpgliavyinegrsitotfo taoll-htaimppee. nG.ood things are going
We played open lthiokoepcklwaeye.dpWelafeeynd. Wsidivenepolylta. sWyteoedppatlthatyaatck
KAMENSKY:
whoacsk6e-y5, ,aanldmCoasnt adnaedviedn, tsoco.reIt. iBfuitt wthaesymwI eaosnsktaaenndddMiwnagerialoot,st“thW. aht
at
COFFEY:
post? Would you give me that
pass?” And he looks me in the eye and said, “We’ll never know.”
The game isn’t over yet. Canada still must contain USSR’s deadly offense for 86 seconds. That is easier said than done, as the Soviets are always a threat.
Before the last five miuncuht.eBsu, It dMidikne’tppultaymtehiant the
TOCCHET:
last minute to protect the lead. I was really nervous, again, but you’re in the moment.
We all knew what octhlfoeccoRku-uwrsssaeita.cTnhhsinewgreorwne aocsauparaslboidlteeo.ofIft,
MURPHY:
was just a case of not giving them anything. Don’t cough up tIthwe pasucakn. aGiel-tbiitteoru.tTohfaotucrloecnkd. lcoonugldesnt’Itt9rw0uanssefcaaoswntedesnsooymuoegu.h’lIltf’oesvrteuhrse.
FUHR:
have, but at the same time, it’s fun. Once you have a lead, and there’s only a minuteand-a-half left in the game, it becomes awesome. That’s the fun part of it.
You’re not playing ponlaybionrgrowneydoutirmtiemneo.w, you’re
COFFEY:
I was partnered with Normand Rochefort in
CROSSMAN:
more of a defensive pairing. I’m thinking, “Oh my lord, now I’m going to go out in the last minute to protect the lead.” I didn’t want to be scored on, playing for my country.
Crossman and Rochefort aren’t mentioned a lot, but
PROPP:
those guys did a really good job oarfeptlahyeindgefdeenfseenmsievnelwy.hTohwoseere wsteinadthyeagnadmreas.lly helped us
I remember Mike yoenlltihneg itcoe,u“sDwonh’etnbwacekwoeffn.”tWe
TOCCHET:
sdtiadyne’td. WonetfhoereRcuhsescikaends,. sWoethey didn’t get a chance on net. The Icetrvowewrabsdetwhenaeslionau.bIdstoewslutatbseujlyuilsdbtoimnngkaIye’-rvse. ihtewmo.uAlnddntehvercltoickdseoewmne. d like
Our team was so energized at that point that
KEENAN:
we just wanted to make sure wdyenkaempitct, haendshkieftpstsphuocrkt sanddeep. Wfenesrievaellyytlo cpkredseirtvdeotwhne ldeea-d and the victory.
It was stressful because the Russians were so
PROPP:
gfroomd.bNeohwindth. eWyehgaodttonctohmeeice awneddjiudsnt’twgaenttsecdotroedmagkaeinssutr.eIt was a long 90 seconds.
We had to really bear down. Do our job and do it
SUTTER:
gtrhiigveheptu.upDckotitmitheefarfeingcdhtitsvpwealaycy.e.M.DSaounnpa’-gt e dporttheaatcshtuoftfhbeercwaueslle. Bwuet weereall akdlnolongw’otoigndegthhtoocwtkheatyotpspltlaygyertbhs.yeYngoaoumt e, athnedthimowe otof tphleaygathmees, caonrde,the schlouctkt.inWgeitddidowa ng.reat job of
Team Canada pushes hard, and Mylnikov cannot get off the ice for an extra attacker. After what feels like an eternity for the Canadian players and fans watching, time runs out and Canada wins.
I don’t think abnreyabtohd. yWoenwthereebaelnl chholtdoionkgaour
HARTSBURG:
sEvaesrayvleitotlreapclahye,cwkhoertahebreitatwha. Tdpulhamaytpoc-flootuhckte, cgwoaaumsldelikanetothtaiectkbpifogaigsnetts.t oeethvnneoTrupyVgebhoionpfdolCyeraainuntasht,dhaoaenm. dbeupwirldoabitncahgbialnyngfdor
We knew what was at ostraykoeu. B’reca ubsuemy.oTuheaitt’hsejurswt itnheit
COFFEY:
wOlayymitpisc.bLaikskeetthbea(ll1t9e9a2m), Uw.Sit.h gWLoahrtretyonBwyioirnud.’raentdhMaticghoaoedl, Jyoorud’avne. it was a relief.WI wheans iotnwcalos uodver,
CROSSMAN: nine. It was a great month-long journey I had with these guys. theTheen1d98o7f CaanhadoackCeuypemraa.rkAeldcthoomupgehtetheinSotvhieet 1U9n9i1onCwanoaudlda Cup, it was not the same. The Iron Curtain was falling fast, and many of Tikhonov’s best players could not be forced to compete for him. While Russia continued to be a global hockey superpower, it was not nearly the 1d9o7m0isnaanndt f1o9r8c0est.hat it was in the
Coaches in RNuEsMsiCaHaInNdOiVn: Canada call this game one of the best hockey games between these two countries. hgroecakteysts,eirfIitnewostaesveorngperleoaafytetehdse.tI,t
KEENAN:
the
was the last time that Canada faced the Soviet Union (in a best-on-best tournament). The drama of the competition was wnoatsoanlslyo aptohllietit-ic, it acanld. Ccoampimtaulinsmism. odTfihfpfeelcarheynearltlses.knIigtlelwsoaefsts haogwreealteecxtarimfypinlegof cthaen gbaem. e of hockey
For a lot of us, it was
HARTSBURG:
the highlight of our careers, especially international careers. It was an amazing three goaf.mIte’ s ptorobbeaablpyart some of the best hockey ever played at the international level. It was certainly a highlight of my career. final is differeTnht.eTShteanWleoyrlCdup
KAMENSKY:
1C9h8am7 pCiaonnasdhaipCuispdtioffuerneanmt. eTnhte wahsa thI erebmesetmtobuerninameynct,afrreoemr.
Of course, it twhais teoxucritninamg teonbt,ewinitvhotlhvedbienst
NEMCHINOV:
players in the world on every team.
It was the end oSof vaineterUan, itohnatsstiellrieexsi.sTtehde. That
MURPHY:
wtheigdhyendamheicasvialyreosnoidt.iTffoedreanyt hwohcekneyit. comes to international
HruAnRiTnStoBaUlRloGv:ePr,eforpielendthsaatnId
etovetanlkstarabnoguetrtsh,atthseeyrwieasn. Itt’s sperroibeasbinlyhtohcekmeyoshtisatmorayz.iAnngd to hbeonaoprafrotromf teh. at series was an
Game 3 of that series was probably the best hockey
SUTTER:
game that was ever played. Ahenldl orfigahhtloycskoe,ybgeacmaues.e it was a