🇨🇦 Canada 4-4 Soviet Union 🇷🇺
Summit Series, Game 3
Winnipeg Arena, Winnipeg 🇨🇦
Wednesday, 06 September 1972

Now that the teams knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses, Game Three was played as evenly as one might expect between two hockey powers.

Canada twice had two-goal leads, but the Soviets rallied in a second period in which five of the game’s eight goals were scored. And although the third period was scoreless, it was not without many great scoring chances at both ends of the ice.

Sinden made only one coaching change, taking out Bill Goldsworthy and inserting Jean Ratelle, while Bobrov made six changes, most notably inserting two youngsters into his lineup, Yuri Lebedev and Alexander Bodunov. They played on a “kid line” with Vyacheslav Anisin, the three 21-year-olds giving the Soviets needed spark. They had taken the Soviets to victory a year previous at the World Student Games in Lake Placid, and they were hands down the best forward line this night.

Canada was lucky to come away from the hard-hitting first period with a 2-1, but they seemed to take control early in the second. J.P. Parise and Wayne Cashman got the puck deep in the Soviet end, and Cashman made a great pass to Phil Esposito in the slot. Phil drilled a one-timer over the glove of Tretyak.

Valeri Kharlamov made it 3-2, though, but again Canada upped its lead to two goals again off a lovely pass from Bobby Clarke and a little bit of luck. His pass through centre was badly missed by Soviet defenceman Viktor Kuzkin, and Paul Henderson zipped in to get the puck and snap a quick shot to Tretyak’s stick side.

The only goal of dubious quality came with 5:01 to go in the second when a Valery Vasiliev point shot was deflected in front by Lebedev to make it 4-3. Then, just like Esposito in the slot, Bodunov took a pass from Anisin in the corner and fired a quick shot past “Tony O” to tie the game.

Both teams had great chances in the third period, but no finer play occurred then one in which Clarke made a perfect pass from behind the Soviet net to Henderson all alone in front. He let the shot go immediately and raised his hands to celebrate the goal—but at the same time Tretyak was snapping his glove in the air to catch the puck, making a save that helped establish his reputation as one of the greats.

The game ended in a 4-4 tie, and after three games the teams were dead even – a win, a loss, and a tie.

BOXSCORE
1st Period
01:54 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Parisé (White, P. Esposito)
03:02 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Vasiliev, elbowing
03:16 – 🇷🇺 SH GOAL – Petrov
08:01 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Cashman, slashing
15:47 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Parisé, interference
18:25 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Ratelle (Cournoyer, Bergman)

2nd Period
24:19 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – P. Esposito (Cashman, Parisé)
24:46 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Petrov, interference
31:00 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Lebedev, tripping
32:56 – 🇷🇺 SH GOAL – Kharlamov (Tsygankov)
33:47 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Henderson (Clarke, Ellis)
34:59 – 🇷🇺 GOAL – Lebedev (Anisin, Vasiliev)
38:28 – 🇷🇺 GOAL – Bodunov (Anisin)

3rd Period
41:33 – 🇨🇦 PEN – White, slashing
41:33 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Mishakov, slashing
50:44 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Cashman, slashing + 10 min. misconduct

GOALTENDERS
T: 🇨🇦 T. Esposito (21-25)
T: 🇷🇺 Tretyak (34-38)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇨🇦 15+17+6 = 38
🇷🇺 9+8+8 = 25

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), Paul Henderson, Frank Mahovlich (A), Peter Mahovlich, Stan Mikita (A), J.P. Parisé, Jean Ratelle (A).
🇷🇺 Goaltenders: Vladislav Tretyak, Viktor Zinger. Defence: Alexander Gusev, Viktor Kuzkin, Vladimir Lutchenko, Yuri Shatalov, Gennadi Tsygankov, Valery Vasiliev. Forwards: Vyacheslav Anisin, Alexander Bodunov, Valeri Kharlamov, Yuri Lebedev, Alexander Maltsev, Boris Mikhailov (C), Yevgeni Mishakov, Vladimir Petrov, Vladimir Shadrin, Vyacheslav Solodukhin, Alexander Yakushev.

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