🇨🇦 Canada 4-1 Soviet Union 🇷🇺
Summit Series, Game 2
Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto 🇨🇦
Monday, 04 September 1972

Canada’s stunning loss in Game One in Montréal made the next game, two nights later at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, a must-win.

And while Soviet coach Vsevelod Bobrov made just two lineup changes for Game Two, Harry Sinden completely revamped his roster. He put Tony Esposito in goal and swapped out seven of 17 skaters to produce a lineup more conducive to physical play, and he dressed six defencemen instead of the five he used in Montréal.

The result for Canada was a sensational turnaround, from shocking defeat to remarkable victory. It came thanks to Peter Mahovlich, who scored one of the finest and most important goals the game of hockey has ever witnessed, a short-handed gem early in the third period to more or less seal the victory.

The first period was dominated by the coaches. Rules made clear the home team gets last change for putting players on the ice, but the referees didn’t seem to know which was designated home team and were unable to administer the rule properly. The result was often two or three line changes at one whistle, as coaches jockeyed to both match lines and avoid matchups simultaneously.

Tony Esposito was excellent when he had to be, and brother Phil opened the scoring early in the second on a delayed penalty. Canada dominated the period, using the body to break up the Soviet rushes and circling passing plays that marked their style. Sinden used Bobby Clarke for most key faceoffs, but it was still a 1-0 game after 40 minutes.

The game changed irrevocably in the first half of the final period. Brad Park made a sensational pass to Yvan Cournoyer, streaking down the right wing, and Cournoyer blazed past defenceman Alexander Raguilin and rifled a shot between Tretyak’s pads for a 2-0 lead.

Alexander Yakushev made things close again, but then Mahovlich went to work. On the penalty kill, Phil Esposito backhanded the puck off the boards out to centre ice. The “Little M” got control and went one-on-one with defenceman Yevgeni Paladiev. Mahovlich froze the defenceman when he wound up to shoot, but he kept the puck and moved in alone on goal. Tretyak slid to the ice in the direction Mahovlich was skating, but the Canadian stopped, and knocked the puck in the open, near side. Brother Frank added the final goal two minutes later, and Canada left Maple Leaf Gardens with greater confidence, knowing they could beat the Russians.

“This is bigger than winning the Stanley Cup as far as I’m concerned,” said Esposito, who had won the Cup just a few months earlier with the Boston Bruins. “This is as excited as I’ve ever been in my life. I was excited Saturday night in Montréal, but this is even bigger.”

BOXSCORE
1st Period
10:08 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Park, cross checking
15:19 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Henderson, tripping

2nd Period
22:07 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Gusev, tripping
24:13 – 🇷🇺 PEN – team, bench minor
27:14 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – P. Esposito (Park, Cashman)
35:16 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Bergman, tripping
39:54 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Tsygankov, slashing
39:54 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Kharlamov, abuse of official 10 min. misconduct

3rd Period
41:19 – 🇨🇦 PP GOAL – Cournoyer (Park)
45:13 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Clarke, slashing
45:53 – 🇷🇺 PP GOAL – Yakushev (Lyapkin, Zimin)
46:14 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Stapleton, hooking
46:47 – 🇨🇦 SH GOAL – P. Mahovlich (P. Esposito)
48:59 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – F. Mahovlich (Mikita, Cournoyer)

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇨🇦 T. Esposito (20-21)
L: 🇷🇺 Tretyak (32-36)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇨🇦 10+16+10 = 36
🇷🇺 7+5+9 = 21

ROSTERS
🇨🇦 Goaltenders: Tony Esposito, Eddie Johnston. Defence: Gary Bergman, Guy Lapointe, Brad Park, Serge Savard, Pat Stapleton, BIll White. Forwards: Wayne Cashman, Bobby Clarke, Yvan Cournoyer, Ron Ellis, Phil Esposito (A), Bill Goldsworthy, Paul Henderson, Frank Mahovlich (A), Peter Mahovlich, Stan Mikita (A), J.P. Parisé.
🇷🇺 Goaltenders: Vladislav Tretyak, Viktor Zinger. Defence: Alexander Gusev, Viktor Kuzkin, Vladimir Lutchenko, Yuri Lyapkin, Yevgeni Paladiev, Alexander Raguilin, Gennadi Tsygankov. Forwards: Vyacheslav Anisin, Valeri Kharlamov, Alexander Maltsev, Boris Mikhailov (C), Yevgeni Mishakov, Vladimir Petrov, Vladimir Shadrin, Vyacheslav Starshinov, Alexander Yakushev, Yevgeni Zimin.

Article Credit: IIHF
Photo Credit: Team Canada 1972: The Official 40th Anniversary Celebration – IIHF – HHOF – IOC