Book Feature Cold War on Ice: The NHL versus the Soviet Union in Hockey's Super Series '76 (by John G. Robertson and Carl T. Madden)

[PrimumHockeyist]

That's a very good and very difficult question to answer. Considering that the Central Red Army club was absolutely loaded with players from the Soviet national team, I think any fair-minded fan of the NHL had to conclude they were on the same level--if not better--than the best NHL teams in 1975-76. The game in Montreal was, in many ways, a huge one for the NHL. If Central Red Army had beaten the Canadiens--who were the best team in the league on December 31, 1975--it would have embarrassed the NHL. I think many fans sensed this, so the pressure was truly on the Habs to win. The Habs dominated play territorially, but Vladislav Tretiak was outstanding in goal for Red Army, while Ken Dryden had a poor night for the Habs. Sam Pollock suggested the score could have been 7-0 for Montreal after the first period--which was a bit of hyperbole. Years later, Dick Irvin made the point that almost no one left the Forum when the third period ended. Most everyone lingered for the announcement of game's the three stars, because they all wanted to cheer Tretiak's performance as he had been the hero. Overall, I think NHL fans would have said that if Central Red Army played Montreal in a seven-game series, the Habs would have likely won it. How Red Army would have fared against the Flyers in a long series is anyone's guess. They were certainly intimidated by Philadelphia on January 11. Could they have coped in a seven-game series? We can only speculate. Even Boston played well against Red Army in the first period of their game. Maybe the Bruins would have won a long series, too. Overall, Central Red Army would have been a Stanley Cup contender, of course.

Thanks, John. I do think a lot of people would have loved to see a Habs0CRA series. I agree that CRA did indeed have the edge over the best NHL clubs, as we should expect for reasons you mention.

As for Philly 76, I don't think a series would have be viable. The Flyers were just too 70s North American nasty for CRA to hang with without revamping their line up and beef up. It wouldn't have been the same team! I think that the Soviets wold have been fine with that, as I think they were quite ideologically opposed to the Flyers kind of game.

 

[Zine]

That's a very good and very difficult question to answer. Considering that the Central Red Army club was absolutely loaded with players from the Soviet national team, I think any fair-minded fan of the NHL had to conclude they were on the same level--if not better--than the best NHL teams in 1975-76. The game in Montreal was, in many ways, a huge one for the NHL. If Central Red Army had beaten the Canadiens--who were the best team in the league on December 31, 1975--it would have embarrassed the NHL. I think many fans sensed this, so the pressure was truly on the Habs to win. The Habs dominated play territorially, but Vladislav Tretiak was outstanding in goal for Red Army, while Ken Dryden had a poor night for the Habs. Sam Pollock suggested the score could have been 7-0 for Montreal after the first period--which was a bit of hyperbole. Years later, Dick Irvin made the point that almost no one left the Forum when the third period ended. Most everyone lingered for the announcement of game's the three stars, because they all wanted to cheer Tretiak's performance as he had been the hero. Overall, I think NHL fans would have said that if Central Red Army played Montreal in a seven-game series, the Habs would have likely won it. How Red Army would have fared against the Flyers in a long series is anyone's guess. They were certainly intimidated by Philadelphia on January 11. Could they have coped in a seven-game series? We can only speculate. Even Boston played well against Red Army in the first period of their game. Maybe the Bruins would have won a long series, too. Overall, Central Red Army would have been a Stanley Cup contender, of course.

Thanks, John. I do think a lot of people would have loved to see a Habs0CRA series. I agree that CRA did indeed have the edge over the best NHL clubs, as we should expect for reasons you mention.

As for Philly 76, I don't think a series would have be viable. The Flyers were just too 70s North American nasty for CRA to hang with without revamping their line up and beef up. It wouldn't have been the same team! I think that the Soviets wold have been fine with that, as I think they were quite ideologically opposed to the Flyers kind of game.

I'd say both leagues were on par with each other circa 1976. Canada always had more innate depth than the USSR, but the NHL consisted of almost twice as many teams in '76 in addition to the pull of the WHA.
FYI, CSKA didn't even win the league title that year. Spartak did.

Re: Philadelphia,
I can't image any Soviet club defeating the Flyers; even with a physically beefed up lineup (at least on NHL ice). The style of game parodied in "Slap Shot" was just too foreign a concept for any Soviet team to contend with without giving up an immense amount of skill. And frankly, AFAIK, most NHL fans probably wouldn't have wanted an extended Flyers-Soviet series as it would have legitimized the Flyers style of game. I'm under the impression the North American hockey world was quickly losing patience with the Flyers at the time.

 

[PrimumHockeyist]

Re: Philadelphia,
I can't image any Soviet club defeating the Flyers; even with a physically beefed up lineup (at least on NHL ice). The style of game parodied in "Slap Shot" was just too foreign a concept for any Soviet team to contend with without giving up an immense amount of skill. And frankly, AFAIK, most NHL fans probably wouldn't have wanted an extended Flyers-Soviet series as it would have legitimized the Flyers style of game. I'm under the impression the North American hockey world was quickly losing patience with the Flyers at the time.

You are certainly correct about the patience things, although this style of play went over well in enough corners to keep going.

I am convinced that this is one thing that was in play in Vancouver, during Game 4 of the Summit Series. Aside from the anti-Canadians in the crowd, most fans were frustrated in general. But there was also this anger about how the game had devolved since the NHL's doubling, and of the NHL brass wanting it that way. In my opinion, a lot of the applause that was directed at the Soviets in Game Four that game was a result of the frustration you mention.