🇷🇺 Soviet Union 5-4 Canada 🇨🇦
Summit Series, Game 5
Luzhniki Palace Of Sports, Moscow 🇷🇺
Friday, 22 September 1972

After arriving in Moscow from Sweden, Team Canada skated onto the ice at the Luzhniki Sports Palace with a monumental task at hand, but things got worse before they got better. Actually, they got better, then worse, then better.

But even before the game, they had to cope with apparent dissension within the ranks. Three players – Vic Hadfield, Rick Martin and Jocelyn Guevrement – flew home rather than stayed with the team. Their rationale was that they were not likely to play, and they wanted to get ready for their NHL training camp. But it was not a good look, as it seemed to indicate the players were leaving the team at a time when all support and encouragement were needed.

Nevertheless, Canada roared out to a tremendous start in Game Five, building an impressive 4-1 lead through two periods. And then, just like that, they collapsed. The Soviets scored goals eight seconds apart to key the third-period comeback in a 5-4 win, giving them a 3-1-1 lead in the series.

The difference between Canada’s arenas and Luzhniki were immediately evident. The Plexiglas was replaced by wire fencing reminiscent of Original Six wire in the NHL; centre ice consisted only of a simple circle; and, there was only one tier of seating in the arena. The rink was much wider, and the goal creases semi-circular, not rectangular. Of course, Canada’s red sweaters were white and the Soviets’ white sweaters were now red. Rinkboard ads were all in English – Gillette, Catelli, Hitachi TV, CCM Sports, Jockey, Turtle Wax.

Over and above the blown lead, Canada got a scare late in the second period when Paul Henderson suffered a head injury. On a partial breakaway, he was stopped by Tretyak, but Henderson fell awkwardly on the follow through, tumbled into the boards and lost consciousness. Today, he would almost certainly never have been cleared to play for several days, but in 1972 he missed only a few minutes of the game. Still, with the loss, there was now no margin for error for Canada. Win the next three games, or go down in history as having been humiliated by an opponent everyone had expected them to humble.

Despite the loss, though, Bobby Clarke later said the team came off the ice and knew it wasn’t going to lose another game. Perhaps it was easier to say that after the fact, or perhaps the team had developed chemistry and confidence that belied blowing a 4-1 lead.

BOXSCORE
1st Period
03:49 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Ellis, tripping
12:25 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Kharlamov, slashing
15:30 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Parisé (Perreault, Gilbert)

2nd Period
23:34 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Clarke (Henderson)
25:38 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Ellis, slashing
25:38 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Kharlamov, holding
28:13 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Bergman, roughing
31:56 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Henderson (Lapointe, Clarke)
40:00 – 🇨🇦 PEN – White, slashing
40:00 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Blinov, slashing

3rd Period
43:34 – 🇷🇺 GOAL – Blinov (Petrov, Kuzkin)
44:56 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Henderson (Clarke)
49:05 – 🇷🇺 GOAL – Anisin (Lyapkin, Yakushev)
49:13 – 🇷🇺 GOAL – Shadrin (Anisin)
50:25 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Clarke, holding
50:25 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Tsygankov, high sticking
51:41 – 🇷🇺 GOAL – Gusev (Ragulin, Kharlamov)
54:46 – 🇷🇺 GOAL – Vikulov (Kharlamov)
55:48 – 🇷🇺 PEN – Yakushev, hooking

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇷🇺 Tretyak (33-37)
L: 🇨🇦 T. Esposito (28-33)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇷🇺 9+13+11 = 33
🇨🇦 12+13+12 = 37

ROSTERS
🇷🇺 Goaltenders: Vladislav Tretyak, Viktor Zinger. Defence: Alexander Gusev, Viktor Kuzkin, Vladimir Lutchenko, Yuri Lyapkin, Alexander Ragulin, Gennadi Tsygankov. Forwards: Vyacheslav Anisin, Yuri Blinov, Valeri Kharlamov, Alexander Maltsev, Alexander Martinyuk, Boris Mikhailov (C), Yevgeni Mishakov, Vladimir Petrov, Vladimir Shadrin, Vladimir Vikulov, Alexander Yakushev.
🇨🇦 Goaltenders: Tony Esposito, Eddie Johnston. Defence: Gary Bergman, Guy Lapointe, Brad Park, Rod Seiling, Pat Stapleton, Bill White. Forwards: Bobby Clarke, Yvan Cournoyer, Ron Ellis, Phil Esposito (A), Rod Gilbert, Paul Henderson, Frank Mahovlich (A), Peter Mahovlich, J.P. Parisé, Gilbert Perreault, Jean Ratelle (A).

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