Let's Watch... Canada vs USSR (1955/03/06)

[Theokritos]

The final and decisive game of the 1955 World Championship in West Germany, which was a big deal for Canada after the upset in 1954. The game was played at Krefeld, the referees were Karl Müller and Kurt Hauser from Switzerland.



Canada (Penticton Vees, reinforced):

Grant Warwick (14) – Jack McIntyre (12) – Bill Warwick (10)
Jack MacDonald (7) – Dick Warwick (9) – Doug Kilburn (8)
Jim Middleton (17) – Mike Shebaga (15) – Jim Fairburn (11)

Hal Tarala (4) – Jack Taggart (2)
George McAvoy (3) – Kevin Conway (5)

Ivan McLelland

Soviet Union:

Vsevolod Bobrov (9) – Viktor Shuvalov (8) – Yevgeni Babich (7)
Valentin Kuzin (10) – Alexander Uvarov (11) – Gennadi Krylov (6)
Nikolai Khlystov (12) – Alexei Guryshev (14) – Mikhail Bychkov (13)

Ivan Tregubov (4) – Nikolai Sologubov (3)
Alfred Kuchevsky (5) – Dmitri Ukolov (2)

Nikolai Puchkov / Grigori Mkrtychan

Previous installments of Let's Watch:
1959/4/7: Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs
1960/4/7: Montreal Canadiens vs Toronto Maple Leafs
1963/4/18: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Detroit Red Wings
1963/12/7: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Chicago Black Hawks
1965/4/1: Montreal Canadiens vs Toronto Maple Leafs
1966/4/14: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens
1967/3/27: USSR vs Canada
1967/3/27: USSR vs Czechoslovakia
1968/2/13: USSR vs Sweden
1968/3/10: Chicago Blackhawks vs Toronto Maple Leafs
1972/9/02: USSR vs Canada - Game 1 at Montréal
1974/5/5: Philadelphia Flyers vs New York Rangers
1996/9/14: Canada vs USA

Click to read more...

 

[Theokritos]

First period:

The big bad Canadians crash and bang their way through Europe? Well, the game is actually pretty tame to "modern" eyes. A few bodychecks by the Canadians, nothing egregious. The Soviets try one or two of their own.

All three Soviet lines are able to create something offensively, but the Canadians look more honed and experienced in the opposing end. Which they were.

If puck possession was tracked, the Soviets would be ahead.

Sitting in the first row must have been something with those low boards.

 

[DN28]

First period:

The big bad Canadians crash and bang their way through Europe? Well, the game is actually pretty tame to "modern" eyes. A few bodychecks by the Canadians, nothing egregious. The Soviets try one or two of their own.

All three Soviet lines are able to create something offensively, but the Canadians look more honed and experienced in the opposing end. Which they were.

If puck possession was tracked, the Soviets would be ahead.

Sitting in the first row must have been something with those low boards.

It's been 2 years since I watched this game so I don't remember from this all that much but...

I agree with you that the game did not look to me as physical as it used to be described everywhere. Having said that, I think the physicality of the Canadians here was one of the main factors why this game ended 5:0. All those battles along the boards seemed to me were constantly won by Canadians. As if Soviets were restrained, they looked surprised and didn't know how to respond.

Overall this Team Canada does not look too good on paper and they outclassed the Soviets clearly at this point... But I think the Soviets would be able to beat this exact team just next year when they were one more year smarter and experienced.

 

[Sentinel]

What is the box score and stats?

 

[Theokritos]

What is the box score and stats?

First period:
4:03 – 1-0 Mike Shabaga (Assists: Jim Fairburn, Jim Middleton)
6:17 – Penalty Canada (George McAvoy)

Second period:
3:18 – Penalty Canada (Kevin Conway)
7:36 – 2-0 Bill Warwick
8:10 – Penalty Canada (George McAvoy)
11:29 – 3-0 Mike Shabaga (Assists: Jim Middleton, Jim Faiburn)
18:53 – Penalty USSR (Nikolai Sologubov)

Third period:
0:32 – 4-0 Bill Warwick (Assists: Hal Tarala, Jack MacDonald)
2:22 – 5-0 George McAvoy (Assist: Jack McIntyre)
6:04 – Penalty Canada (Hal Tarala)
19:02 – Penalty Canada (Jim Middleton)
19:30 –Penalty Canada (Kevin Conway)

 

[Theokritos]

I agree with you that the game did not look to me as physical as it used to be described everywhere. Having said that, I think the physicality of the Canadians here was one of the main factors why this game ended 5:0. All those battles along the boards seemed to me were constantly won by Canadians. As if Soviets were restrained, they looked surprised and didn't know how to respond.

Right. And in the second period, the Canadians started throwing around more bodychecks. For example, see the sequence around 36:00 where they knock down three Soviet players within less than 10 seconds. They look more dominant overall in the second period too.

Pretty amusing to get an impression of 1950s Canadian word usage thanks to the play-by-play guy: It would have been "a real cutie" by Jimmy Fairburn if he scored at 27:53 and Hal Tarala threw "a honey of a bodycheck" at 35:54.

Interesting: In 1955, "power play" still does not refer to the man advantage. The Soviets had "one power play and that was about all", says the play-by-play announcer (38:29 to 38:39) – but the Soviets have had the man advantage twice in the period at that point.

Other observations

• Those whistles by the referee after each puck drop are annoying.
• The board ads look almost modern – except there's only two of them (the one for Dujardin brandy is displayed four times and the one for Hudora skates twice).

 

[Theokritos]

Third period:

More of the second period. The Canadians create pressure and remain in control. Two quick goals put the outcome beyond doubt early in the period. The Soviets can't get anything going and not just after the bodycheck by Tarala on Bobrov (1:01:12). The Canadians use their opportunitites to bump into the Soviets and the latter are definitely irritated. Tempers flare up on a few occasions, but it all remains within the limits.

 

[Theokritos]

Fourth month after this game, a report on the Penticton Vees was published by Soviet State Coach Alexander Novokreshchonov. He highlights their skill in skating, stickhandling and passing, their broad repertoire of tactics, their determination and their fondness of bodychecking. The skill level and the active involvement of the defencemen in the offence also left an impression. Novokreshchonov's conclusions:

• Physical fitness is important. The Soviets need to be superior to foreign players in speed, agility and strength.
• The individual skill of the Soviet players has to improve by leaps and bounds.
• Soviet players need a broader tactical repertoire. Improving their skill level will allow them to use a variety of plays like Penticton.
• It is important to foster the determination and strong will of the Soviet players.

Addition: Novokreshchonov writes that the slap shot with its "big swing" (as demonstrated by the Canadians) wasn't very effective because it took too long to get it off. But at 55:10 of the game video, you can see Canadian defenceman George McAvoy score a goal with the slap shot (5-0).

 

[Theokritos]

Another Soviet takeaway from the game was that they had to get acquainted with physical play. A series of games against British clubs with their Canadian players was arranged. (For details, see this thread.) As Bob Giddens observed on that tour: "They (=the Soviets) even it." It's not by coincidence that a corresponding article on how to use bodychecks can be found in the December 1955 issue of a Russian magazine. (See here.)

 

[jj cale]

Not surprised to see the penalties be 6-1 in the Soviets favor, that's how it rolled for Canada at this thing for a long, long time.

 

[Theokritos]

The big bad Canadians crash and bang their way through Europe? Well, the game is actually pretty tame to "modern" eyes. A few bodychecks by the Canadians, nothing egregious.

A caricature from the 1955 Vancouver Sun (provided via SIHR by Max Weder):