1981 Canada Cup

[Big Phil]

Funny, that was my feeling about the 81 Canada Cup . Lafleur was on his way down and Gretzky on his way up but neither at their best. Only the likes of Bossy and Dionne were at their peak in 81 - great players to be sure, but hardly the generational talent that Canada typically has to lead the team.

It was a really weird transition year for Canada. I guess Trottier was another forward at his prime as well. But this team didn't have an Esposito in 1972, Orr in 1976 or Gretzky in 1987.

The 1980 US Olympic win needs to be viewed within it's own context.

In the 1970's, it was still a rarity for a US born player to excel in the NHL, let alone international hockey.

No US Olympic hockey team had accomplished much since the 1960 Squaw Valley win.

Beating the Soviets was in no way a logical outcome.

There was no specific evidence suggesting it would happen, especially considering that just a few weeks earlier, the Soviets blew out the US Olympic team 10-3 at Madison Square Garden.

The term miracle is too strong, but the win was still highly unlikely.

Right. The "Miracle on Ice" is a mere tagline, but it was nothing short of remarkable for the Americans. The 1979 Challenge Cup paved the way for the Russians to be so feared. That was a wonderful NHL team that they beat in 1979 don't kid yourselves, and they beat the best in the world at that time and a bunch of unproven American college kids are supposed to dethrone them? Yeah, right. Would the Pittsburgh Penguins lose to the Memorial Cup winning Halifax team? So it's like that, but maybe even worse.

 

[Peter25]

Too bad the Soviets requested Koharski personally, I guess.

The Soviets had to pick their poison. The alternative as an American referee with even greater anti-Soviet bias than Koharski. The American referee officiated the round robin game between Soviets and Canada (3-3) and gave zero penalties for Team Canada in that game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW9TEb2BuQw

There was no option for an inpartial referee for the Soviets in that tournament.

 

[shazariahl]

The Soviets had to pick their poison. The alternative as an American referee with even greater anti-Soviet bias than Koharski. The American referee officiated the round robin game between Soviets and Canada (3-3) and gave zero penalties for Team Canada in that game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW9TEb2BuQw

There was no option for an inpartial referee for the Soviets in that tournament.

Agreed, but people act like Kohaski was Canada's pick. He was actually the Soviet choice. They felt the European refs were incompetant and the US ones biased. Koharski had done their games before and they thought he'd been fair.

The NHL stars complained about the officiating as well, so both teams were unhappy at points. Not saying having a Canadian ref didn't help Canada, but people act like there was some grand conspiracy. The Soviets requested him personally so it had nothing to do with team Canada.

 

[Big Phil]

Agreed, but people act like Kohaski was Canada's pick. He was actually the Soviet choice. They felt the European refs were incompetant and the US ones biased. Koharski had done their games before and they thought he'd been fair.

The NHL stars complained about the officiating as well, so both teams were unhappy at points. Not saying having a Canadian ref didn't help Canada, but people act like there was some grand conspiracy. The Soviets requested him personally so it had nothing to do with team Canada.

Right. A grand conspiracy wouldn't have the Soviets called for 5 penalties and Canada called for 4. In Game 6 of the 1972 Summit Series the penalty minutes were 31-4 in favour of Canada. We all know about Josef Kompalla by now and one thing that has come out about the 1972 series was that the Swedish ref who was supposed to officiate Game 8 was told by the Soviets to stay in his hotel while they got the hated Kompalla. To me, that is a TRUE attempt at a fix right there. There isn't that story about Koharski at all, because you know, Team Canada in 1987 hated him and the NHL as a whole didn't like him either. Ask Jim Schoenfeld. There was a time when Gretzky is chasing Koharski around the ice in Game 1 of the 1987 series and you can overhear Koharski say "It IS called both ways............." and he tells Gretzky "it's embarassing having you chase me around the f*&^%g ice". So neither team was happy with him.

 

[Rob]

New video you Youtube about Canada being demolished by the Soviets in the final.

 

[Staniowski]

Beautiful Gretzky pass on that famous Krutov goal. Gretzky was always a great passer!

 

[MeHateHe]

Thanks for the reminder of how terrible Mike Liut played that night. I remember being beside myself watching that game seeing the weak goals he let in during the second period. At worst, Canada should have gone into the third tied at a goal apiece, and they would have played a different game in the third under those circumstances. Yes, the top line was mostly invisible, but you trust your goaltender to make garden-variety saves and at least two of the goals in the second period were nearly entirely on Liut.

 

[Hanji]

Thanks for the reminder of how terrible Mike Liut played that night. I remember being beside myself watching that game seeing the weak goals he let in during the second period. At worst, Canada should have gone into the third tied at a goal apiece, and they would have played a different game in the third under those circumstances. Yes, the top line was mostly invisible, but you trust your goaltender to make garden-variety saves and at least two of the goals in the second period were nearly entirely on Liut.

Come again? All 3 Soviet 2nd period goals were scored right between the dots, point blank and completely unmarked.
Luit certainly didn't make any clutch saves, but it's not like he let in a bunch of freebies.
If anything, it was the Canadian defense that was terrible. Wowzers did they look bad.

 

[MS]

Come again? All 3 Soviet 2nd period goals were scored right between the dots, point blank and completely unmarked.
Luit certainly didn't make any clutch saves, but it's not like he let in a bunch of freebies.
If anything, it was the Canadian defense that was terrible. Wowzers did they look bad.

It was the worst team performance in history for Canada in a best-on-best game and we would have been annihilated with any goalie in net.

But it remains easier to pretend we just lost because of a bad goaltending performance instead of being totally outclassed in every aspect of the game. Liut was hung out to dry.

 

[MeHateHe]

But it remains easier to pretend we just lost because of a bad goaltending performance instead of being totally outclassed in every aspect of the game. Liut was hung out to dry.

Many things can be true at once. The offence went walkabout, but Liut was also terrible. As a paid up member of the goaltenders' union, I'm happy to point out when a goalie shits the bed. Liut has to make those saves. Look at whatever that was on the first goal (4:39) he makes a half-hearted attempt to go fetch the puck behind the goal line, puts himself out of position and barely reacts when the shot comes. The second goal (5:01) barely dribbled in. The third goal was a good goal.

But a goaltender, in the final of a tournament like that, has to be in better position on the first goal and has to make that save on the second. I'm not saying Canada lost only because of Liut's play, but you need goalies to make saves at critical points in the game to give yourself a chance to win. He didn't.

The video's producer goes to pains to say that Tretiak's play was a big reason for the Soviets' win; Tretiak made the saves that Liut needed to make. It wasn't the only reason Canada lost, but Liut's poor play that day certainly played a role.

 

[Rob]

Many things can be true at once. The offence went walkabout, but Liut was also terrible. As a paid up member of the goaltenders' union, I'm happy to point out when a goalie shits the bed. Liut has to make those saves. Look at whatever that was on the first goal (4:39) he makes a half-hearted attempt to go fetch the puck behind the goal line, puts himself out of position and barely reacts when the shot comes. The second goal (5:01) barely dribbled in. The third goal was a good goal.

But a goaltender, in the final of a tournament like that, has to be in better position on the first goal and has to make that save on the second. I'm not saying Canada lost only because of Liut's play, but you need goalies to make saves at critical points in the game to give yourself a chance to win. He didn't.

The video's producer goes to pains to say that Tretiak's play was a big reason for the Soviets' win; Tretiak made the saves that Liut needed to make. It wasn't the only reason Canada lost, but Liut's poor play that day certainly played a role.

Do you remember why Liut was the starter? I’m surprised they didn’t go with Billy Smith.