That's some serious opportunism. But then it mustered only two shots on net in the second frame and trailed heading into the third period.
Twenty minutes to score two goals, all while holding off the Soviet offensive attack? After a period like that? It seemed impossible against a juggernaut like the Soviets.
Until it wasn't -- thanks in part to goaltender Jim Craig's nine saves in that final frame. One of the single biggest reasons the Miracle on Ice will always resonate is that it is a unique example of what happens when human beings do extraordinary things in extraordinary circumstances. It's probably one of the big reasons the world stops to watch the Olympics on a biannual basis. He was a brilliant goalkeeper and one of the smartest goalies I've ever met.
Indeed, it was the game of his life. He posted a. Without Craig's performance, there is probably no Miracle on Ice. His ability to kick shots away and not allow many second chances were major keys to success for this team. There was little doubt the Soviets had the better team at 5-on The possession was tilted their way, as detailed above, and Craig registered an even-strength save percentage of.
Perhaps most importantly, Craig stopped eight of 10 "high-danger" scoring chances over the course of the game, which are shots that come from areas on the ice most likely to result in a goal. He continuously stumped the Soviet offense. Low and hard was the shot of choice at the time, as goalies weren't accustomed to the butterfly style that is now commonplace. Craig turned aside 25 of the 27 shots that came his way down low.
The goals he did allow were all pretty much no-doubters. They included a deflected shot off of a defensive-zone turnover, a broken play and unfortunate bounce ending with a wrist shot over his glove, and finally a breakaway from the blue line in. To win this game, the Americans had to play it perfectly. That's what gets lost more than anything today.
Every hockey game you need a few bounces to go your way, but this was not some lucky break or fluke win. He pushed them hard for seven months, and I witnessed every second of it.
Color analyst Ken Dryden described the Soviets' counterattack like a fast break in basketball. They thrived on odd-man break situations. But the U. There always seemed to be three or four players back, which was a credit to the U. Despite the possession being so tilted, the U. Alexander Maltsev's breakaway goal in the second period was the only instance when the Soviets got behind the U.
According to the zone entry data compiled by Sznajder, the Soviet attack gained the U. And once the Soviets got in the zone, there was next to no room to operate, as they settled for longer shots. But getting the puck out of the zone was something that was also going to be a concern against the Soviets. And frankly, what the Americans were doing early in the game in that department was not working. In a TV interview immediately after the game, Brooks in a rare unguarded exuberance explained, "We had a game plan, the players stayed with it.
We made a change real early in the first period. Lou Vairo, Craig Patrick and myself talked about a tactical way to prevent them from pinching. I thought we walked out and got stronger as the game went on. To avoid pressure, the U. But a problem popped up: The Soviet defensemen were waiting for those breakout passes and would crash down to try to force a turnover. The USSR center would then cover the exposed point.
Vairo had experienced similar problems when coaching the U. U20 team at the World Junior Championship just two months earlier. According to Vairo, the U. This forced the Soviet defensemen to follow those streaking wingers instead of pinching. And it gave the puck carrier an extra second or two to either make a play or skate up the ice. Hockey Hall of Fame and went on to coach the Olympic team. Olympic bench. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.
By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Links Love Hate Full Archive. Stories Schedule Roster Stats. Filed under:. The U. So in hindsight, feels about right. I like to joke with my co-worker Michael Leboff that every NHL game should be lined at on both sides because hockey is an inherently random game.
The puck is rubber and it does strange stuff. A hot goalie, weird bounces and capitalizing on a single opportunity can turn one game on its head. The Soviet Union was of course a dominant force, winning Gold at the previous four Olympics and 12 of the last 16 world championships. They entered that game against the U. The Soviets beat Canada and Finland in their final two pool play games. The Americans had outscored their opponents to that point, playing arguably the best defense in the tournament.
Using comparable upcoming games from international hockey markets like the KHL since the gap in talent is much wider than the NHL , a 3. The Olympic medal round in was its own round robin, not an elimination bracket. The Soviets actually ended up winning Silver, and would have won Gold had the U.
The hold on a game when both sides are is 4.
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