World Cup: the best hockey ever 1987 Canada vs USSR

[Kshahdoo]

Soviet and defense is almost like an oxymoron... kinda like Jumbo Shrimp.

I don't think a 20 year-old Tretiak would have made a lot of difference, as he was lit up for six goals in the deciding game of the '72 series as well. Besides, you can't arbitrarily take players from different eras as fuel to say your team should have won.

If so, I'll grant you that Tretiak probably would have stopped more pucks in '87. But if we had a 22 year-old Bobby Orr, a 25 year-0ld Rocket Richard and a 28 year-old Gordie Howe, we would have scored double digits in each game.

You say it like Soviet team had all the best Soviet players ever in 87...

 

[DannyGallivan]

You say it like Soviet team had all the best Soviet players ever in 87...

Okay, I suppose we could create rosters of our all-time Soviet/Russia team versus the all-time Canada team. However, that's not what this thread is about. It's about the '87 series. Canada won. Tretiak didn't play. Bobby Orr didn't play. It was what it was. And it definitely was the most entertaining hockey I have ever seen.

 

[MaxV]

We can point to poor goaltending or poor defense, but I think it was a case of just too much offensive firepower. There was SO MUCH skill and talent on the ice.

Both teams were also playing very aggressively, leaving plenty of opportunities for counters.

 

[Kshahdoo]

We can point to poor goaltending or poor defense, but I think it was a case of just too much offensive firepower. There was SO MUCH skill and talent on the ice.

Both teams were also playing very aggressively, leaving plenty of opportunities for counters.

Mylnikov has never been considered even close to top Soviet/Russian netminders, and that's a fact. That's why I say, Summit Series 72 had better goaltending, but that's it. Overall, quality of hockey was way higher at CC87.

 

[member 305909]

Lake Placid was a stroke of luck as it is often with tournaments but it was probably the most celebrated win over the Soviets; not least because it was the USA, not Canada.

 

[lilidk]

That Soviet stile no longer exist. High speed puck possession with a lot of small passes. Your head start spinning following those passes.

 

[MaxV]

Lake Placid was a stroke of luck as it is often with tournaments but it was probably the most celebrated win over the Soviets; not least because it was the USA, not Canada.

Depends which country was celebrating.

I’m certain many Canadians will disagree.

 

[MaxV]

That Soviet stile no longer exist. High speed puck possession with a lot of small passes. Your head start spinning following those passes.

Much of old fashion Canadian style no longer exists either.

Current NHL is somewhere in the middle of what used to be North American and European styles.

 

[Zine]

Mylnikov has never been considered even close to top Soviet/Russian netminders, and that's a fact. That's why I say, Summit Series 72 had better goaltending, but that's it. Overall, quality of hockey was way higher at CC87.

Depends.

Our 1972 defense was far more skilled than 1987, but they had, leading up to ‘72, very little experience facing a heavy Canadian forecheck and net presence. Checking in the offensive zone was illegal previous to 1970 in IIHF play. It’s no surprise they were worn down as the series progressed. It was a learning experience.

However, talent wise, top to bottom, the 1987 d-core and goaltending was the worst since the ‘60s.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Depends.

Our 1972 defense was far more skilled than 1987, but they had, leading up to ‘72, very little experience facing a heavy Canadian forecheck and net presence. Checking in the offensive zone was illegal previous to 1970 in IIHF play. It’s no surprise they were worn down as the series progressed. It was a learning experience.

However, talent wise, top to bottom, the 1987 d-core and goaltending was the worst since the ‘60s.

Defense isn't just... well, names of defensemen. Soviet forwards played their defensive roles way better at CC87, and overall team was organized better (Tikhonov's system, you know). And even as to names, I don't agree with you. Fetisov and Kasatonov is the best pair Soviet/Russian teams have ever had, and Gusarov, Pervukhin, Kravchuk, Stelnov all were very solid.

 

[rfournier103]

Cold War on Ice is one of my favorite historical documentaries on ANY subject.

I’m shocked Hollywood hasn’t made a feature film about the Summit Series. If the NHL really wanted to get some buzz in the US about hockey, they should try to make that happen. There are MILLIONS of Americans who have never heard of it.

There are 22 people in the breakroom with me right now and I’d bet that no more than four even know what the Summit Series was. And I’m on the North Shore of Massachusetts where hockey is as popular as anywhere else in the US.

Too good of a story not to share with as big an audience as possible.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

Cold War on Ice is one of my favorite historical documentaries on ANY subject.

I’m shocked Hollywood hasn’t made a feature film about the Summit Series. If the NHL really wanted to get some buzz in the US about hockey, they should try to make that happen. There are MILLIONS of Americans who have never heard of it.

There are 22 people in the breakroom with me right now and I’d bet that no more than four even know what the Summit Series was. And I’m on the North Shore of Massachusetts where hockey is as popular as anywhere else in the US.

Too good of a story not to share with as big an audience as possible.

Why would the American film industry make a film on Canadian history about a Canadian sport (that is not popular there) to a population that doesn't care about Canada and is told to hate Russians?

If only there was a Canadian film industry instead of watching the garbage spewed from down south, but that's a topic for another forum.

 

[Larry44]

As a Flyer fan, I was so proud that, with all the HHOF talent, it took Tocchet and Propp to get them back in the game down 3-0!

 

[rfournier103]

Why would the American film industry make a film on Canadian history about a Canadian sport (that is not popular there) to a population that doesn't care about Canada and is told to hate Russians?

Well... I think many Americans just like a good story, and if told from the right perspective, it has “good” vs. “evil;” “us” vs. “them;” and a get up off the mat and knock the bad guy out ending that sells tickets.

How can ANYONE not love the Summit Series? It’s one of the best kept secrets in sports.

Getting someone to make the movie, getting the right cast, and release date would be crucial - but it could work. Maybe Oscar Isaac as Phil Esposito...?

 

[snipes]

Well... I think many Americans just like a good story, and if told from the right perspective, it has “good” vs. “evil;” “us” vs. “them;” and a get up off the mat and knock the bad guy out ending that sells tickets.

How can ANYONE not love the Summit Series? It’s one of the best kept secrets in sports.

Getting someone to make the movie, getting the right cast, and release date would be crucial - but it could work. Maybe Oscar Isaac as Phil Esposito...?

Cold War on Ice was produced by NBC as well wasn't it?

I agree with your earlier post one of the best documentaries, I watch it at least twice a year.

 

[rfournier103]

To add to my last post about marketability in the US... There hasn’t been a better time for a movie about the Summit Series since the 1980s.

With everything going on in the US right now and the Russian government (not the average Russian citizen, mind you) being seen as somewhat of a boogeyman in this country, I can see how a film about the Summit Series might do quite well.

 

[Spirit of 67]

Absolutely it was.

Perhaps the worst part was, a buddy of mine came by the house the day of game 3 and said his buddy said there were still tickets on sale.
We called and they sold the remaining tickets a few hours previously. Had we known earlier, I'd have been there for that game.

 

[rfournier103]

Cold War on Ice was produced by NBC as well wasn't it?

I agree with your earlier post one of the best documentaries, I watch it at least twice a year.

Same here. Top-flight filmmaking. The interviews were pure gold.

 

[snipes]

Same here. Top-flight filmmaking. The interviews were pure gold.

Especially Esposito.

 

[JackSlater]

It's pretty obvious why they haven't and likely won't make a Summit Series movie, in Hollywood anyway, but there is good material to be had. It isn't a generic story where the underdog wins, which had happened in every story. this is more like the perceived overdog is getting beaten over the course of a series and has a huge comeback, but with the unique wrinkle of the Clarke slash. Add in the conflicting styles (hockey and otherwise) and it's very different from typical sports movie fare.

Regarding 1987, I expect that at some point HBO will put out a documentary on the series. Bill Simmons talked years ago about wanting to have a documentary made about the 1987 Canada Cup (back when he started 30 for 30) and it seems like he has a big role with HBO sports.

 

[rfournier103]

The late 80s were a great time for hockey. The 87 Canada Cup was an amazing tournament, and my first as a hockey fan.

Very partial to it.

 

[member 305909]

Another thing with the best-on-best tournaments is that there is no good time for them; September is not good because then everyone is still rusty after summer but when the olympics included the NHL in February that was even worse. It totally broke the season and when the olympic final was on a Sunday the following Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest was already a day of a full round of NHL-games.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

The Soviets were tremendous, when you watch the games their whole team play really jumps out at you, especially Krutov, who was a maniac goal scorer, so dangerous.

That whole KLM line was fantastic. Great games.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

 

[MaxV]

It's pretty obvious why they haven't and likely won't make a Summit Series movie, in Hollywood anyway, but there is good material to be had. It isn't a generic story where the underdog wins, which had happened in every story. this is more like the perceived overdog is getting beaten over the course of a series and has a huge comeback, but with the unique wrinkle of the Clarke slash. Add in the conflicting styles (hockey and otherwise) and it's very different from typical sports movie fare.

Regarding 1987, I expect that at some point HBO will put out a documentary on the series. Bill Simmons talked years ago about wanting to have a documentary made about the 1987 Canada Cup (back when he started 30 for 30) and it seems like he has a big role with HBO sports.

The Summit Series might actually be a good candidate for a TV series rather then a movie. And it’s a story that could be told from multiple angles, including from Soviet players’ point of view (there was already a 30 for 30 from that point of view, which drew rave reviews).

It would probably be centered around mostly on off-the-ice plots. Unfortunately, that means Alan Eagleson (or a character based on him) would be one of the central characters. He would be the Walter White of hockey.