[Olympics] Ice This: Do You Believe in Miracles?

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Ice This: Do You Believe in Miracles?

– Steve Price, IP Sports
Exclusive to Inside Pulse Sports
Saturday, February 04th, 2006

Eleven seconds, you’ve got ten seconds! The countdown’s going on right now! Morrow, up to Silk, five seconds left in the game! Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” – Al Michaels

The anticipation is at its zenith. The wait is nearly over, as millions prepare themselves for the greatest winter sports spectacle of them all. The 2006 Winter Olympics are here, and for sports fans around the world, no greater athletic exhibition can be found. Everyone, from Americans to Italians, Russians to Czechs and all points between can watch their nation’s finest take center stage on the world’s biggest stage. And yet, as often is the case when we approach an event of this magnitude, we often want to reflect on past events, if for no other reason than to get a sense of what memories may await us. Sure, a lot of people would be quick to say the Jamaican Bobsled team, or perhaps the dreaded French judges that may show up to ruin your day. Speed skaters, snowboarders, and bobsledders alike share the Winter Olympic Tradition.

And Hockey, to many, trumps them all.

We can all relate to some of the greatest hockey stories from past Winter Olympics. From the great Soviet teams of the 1970s to the Canadians finally winning gold after years of suffering. The classic rivalries between nations like Finland and Sweden, and scores of upsets that have become apart of the Olympic tradition.

Yet, when I set out five days ago to compile a list of important Olympic Ice Hockey moments from the past, it became evident that, for Americans, there is one event that stands out above all the rest. And once you become acquainted with the story, you’ll have all the information you’ll ever need to know. After all, miracles don’t happen every day.


United States vs. Soviet Union


XIII Winter Olympics – Lake Placid, New York
Friday, February 22nd, 1980 – Olympic Ice Arena
Ice Hockey Medal Round

United States of America
The Americans, led by the then-coach of the University of Minnesota, Herb Brooks, were the decided underdogs of the field in 1980, despite having the home ice advantage. Led by the sound goaltending of goalie Jim Craig and the leadership of Mike Eruzione, the “kids from college” had a tall task ahead of them at Lake Placid.

1980 U.S. Olympic Roster
Head Coach: Herb Brooks (1937 – 2003)

The Late Herb Brooks.

Goalie Jim Craig, Boston University (’80 Olympic Record: 6-0-1 [Sweden])
Goalie Steve Janaszak, Minnesota

Defenseman Bill Baker, Minnesota
Defenseman Dave Christian, North Dakota
Defenseman Ken Morrow, Minnesota
Defenseman Jack O’ Callahan, Boston University
Defenseman Mike Ramsey, Minnesota
Defenseman Bob Suter, Wisconsin

Left Wing Mike Eruzione, Boston University (Captain)
Left Wing Rob McClanahan, Bowling Green
Left Wing Buzz Schneider, Minnesota
Left Wing Phil Verchota, Minnesota

Right Wing Steve Christoff, Minnesota
Right Wing John Harrington, Minnesota-Duluth
Right Wing Dave Silk, Boston University
Right Wing Eric Strobel, Minnesota

Center Neal Broten, Minnesota
Center Mark Johnson, Wisconsin
Center Mark Pavelich, Minnesota-Duluth
Center Mark Wells, Bowling Green

U.S. Qualifying Round Results (4-0-1)
– February 12th, 1980 –
USA 2, Sweden 2 (TIE)

– February 14th, 1980 –
USA 7, Czechoslovakia 3

– February 16th, 1980 –
USA 5, Norway 1

– February 18th, 1980 –
USA 7, Romania 2

– February 20th, 1980 –
USA 4, West Germany 2


Soviet Union
Captained by Boris Mikhailov, the Soviets were undoubtedly the team to beat heading into Lake Placid. After routing the NHL All Stars at MSG in October 1979 6-0, the Soviet squad absolutely demolished any and all teams in their wake. With a 10-3 rout of the U.S. Hockey Team three days prior to the Olympics, things were seemingly falling into place. Such was the order of the universe for the better part of twenty years.

1980 Soviet Olympic Roster
Head Coach: Viktor Tikhonov (1930 – )

Goalie Vladimir Myshkin, Dynamo Moscow
Goalie Vladislav Tretyak, CSKA

Defenseman Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, Dynamo Moscow
Defenseman Vyacheslav Fetisov, CSKA
Defenseman Aleksei Kasatonov, CSKA
Defenseman Vassily Pervukhin, Dynamo Moscow
Defenseman Sergey Starikov, CSKA
Defenseman Valery Vasiliev, Dynamo Moscow

Forward Alexander Golikov, Dynamo Moscow
Forward Boris Mikhailov, CSKA (Captain)
Forward Vladimir Krutov, CSKA
Forward Sergey Makarov, CSKA
Forward Valery Kharlamov, CSKA
Forward Victor Zhluktov, CSKA
Forward Alexander Maltsev, Dynamo Moscow
Forward Helmut Balderis, CSKA
Forward Yury Lebedev, Soviet Wings
Forward Vladimir Golikov, Dynamo Moscow
Forward Alexander Scvortsov, Torpedo Gorky
Forward Vladimir Petrov, CSKA

Soviet Qualifying Round Results (5-0-0)
– February 14th, 1980 –
Soviet Union 16, Japan 0
Soviet Union 17, Netherlands 4

– February 16th, 1980 –
Soviet Union 8, Poland 1

– February 18th, 1980 –
Soviet Union 4, Finland 2

– February 20th, 1980 –
Soviet Union 6, Canada 4

The Build-Up
The U.S. Team started off about as poorly as they had against the Soviet Union three days prior in New York. Facing off against an insanely strong Swedish team the U.S. trailed 2-1 heading into the final minute of the game. In the 1980 format, a loss would have devastated the chances for a U.S. birth in the medal round. Luckily for the Americans, a well timed goal with seconds left prevented a disastrous first match loss. After the tie, however, the U.S. Hockey Team began something of a miracle in itself, marching over the world’s second best team, Czechoslovakia 7-3 in impressing fashion. The rout was particularly shocking after the lackluster performances that the U.S. had turned in prior to the game. Speaking of lackluster performances, the Americans then avenged their embarrassing 3-3 tie to Norway from months earlier with a huge 5-1 win on the 16th. Astute readers will note the previous game as the one which led to the never-ending sprints across the ice, as portrayed from true events in the movie Miracle.

On February 18th, the United States again destroyed a European team, this time the Romanians by a final of 7-2. With the win, the United States placed themselves in great position, and with a 4-2 win over the West Germans two days later, the U.S. Hockey Team found itself in the medal round. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union pretty much continued doing what they had been doing since the mid 1960s: destroy people. The Japanese got the first taste of Soviet hockey with a 16-0 grubbing on February 14th. The Netherlands dropped hard afterwards, with a final 17-4 score. Then, Poland played the part of whipping boy, as the Soviets dominated them, also. Final score? 8-1.

However, a tell-tell sign of the changing times became apparent when the Soviets took on powerhouse Finland in their fourth match. The Finland team actually out-skated the much older Russian squad, and held the lead well into the third and final period. If it weren’t for a miraculous comeback by the Soviets, Finland would have probably stopped the Russians cold. And then, if the writing wasn’t on the wall to begin with, the Soviets again fell behind late in their final pre-medal round game. This time, however, they were up against the mighty Canadians, their arch-rivals. If there was one country in the world that could flat out skate with the Russian team, it was the Canadians. However, like the Finland game, the Soviet Union rebounded in the third period, and took a 6-4 victory leading into the medal round.

The Hype
While the Cold War has been over with for over fifteen years now, the Lake Placid games were set against the backdrop of war. The Soviets were busy with the invasion of Afghanistan while American hostages were under siege in Iran. With the failure of the SALT II talks previously, and the increased threat of East/West hostilities, the 1980 Winter Games were unfairly saddled with the increased level of patriotism and euphoria that came with a USSR/USA match up. In the midst of a turbulent period, the national really was in need of a “miracle”. And not just hockey fans were getting in on the action, either. As Al Michaels famously quipped, “Most people watching tonight wont know the difference between a blue line and a clothesline. It’s irrelevant.”

Aside from the obvious political undertones of the event, the game featured what appeared to be a mismatch of Biblical proportions. The upstart American team had ran through the field like children in a candy store, while the Soviets mixed in thrashings with late-game comebacks. On paper, the 1980 Soviet Union squad was perhaps the greatest team in the history of Olympic Hockey. By comparison, the 1980 U.S. Team was expected to advance no higher than the bronze medal, according to head coach Herb Brooks.

However, several key factors would eventually play into the outcome of the game. The Soviet Union squad, for better or worse, had been together for many years. Boris Mikhailov himself had been involved in some late-third period heroics for the Soviet teams in international play dating back to the late 1960s. Having said that, the Soviets by this point in time were starting to advance in age. They relied on intimidation, along with their sheer size and presence on the ice most of the time. Their pure talent was merely an “emergency use only” affair.

The Americans sported much smaller lines on the ice, but in retrospect, the youth and speed of the U.S. Team paid off in the long run, as their endurance outlasted the older Soviet players. This was a major reason why the U.S. Team was able to advance against all of the European teams they played; while the Euro style in 1980 was exceedingly physical, the Americans relied on a more Canadian-style of play which paid off in the long run.

The Game
The game, played on February 22nd, 1980 at the Olympic Ice Arena in Lake Placid, New York, was billed as a Cold War Showdown. It was supposed to be the underdog Americans taking on their arch-rivals in the political and world spectrum, the Soviet Union. The Americans were not supposed to win. It was supposed to be a Soviet rout, like it always was.

Instead, it turned into the most important sports moment in American history.

And that, friends, is not hyperbole.

The game was aired on tape delay by ABC, so the results of the game leaked out well before the rest of the country managed to see the game. To say euphoria swept upstate New York is a mild understatement, to say the least. For the sake of the nation, the game was called by Al Michaels (of Monday Night Football fame today) and the great Montreal Canadian Ken Dryden.

Things started off auspiciously enough. The Soviets immediately went on the offensive as play began, getting several quick shots on goal against goalie Jim Craig. The Americans used their speed to set up attack runs on Russian goalie Vladislav Tretyak, but nothing resulted through the first minutes of the period. The Soviet Union struck first, with a goal scored by Vladimir Krutov (with an assist from Aleksei Kasatonov). The United States wasted little time in responding, as Buzz Schneider got the crowd going with the first of two goals scored in Tretyak. The Soviets go right back on the offensive, using their superior teamwork to create two-on-one breakaways. Sergei Makarov manages to slip one past Jim Craig to give the Soviets a slender 2-1 lead heading into the final stretch of the first period. Yet the tide of the game would be swung in favor of the Americans with just seconds left in the period. With time running out, the U.S. went on the offensive, with Dave Christian firing a powerful shot on goal. Tretyak makes the save, but misplays the volley, and allows the rebound to escape him. Mark Johnson, one of the leading scorers during the Lake Placid games, heaved a prayer towards Tretyak as the time expired.

And it scored.

The Soviets were in utter shock, as the “inferior” American team managed to pull even for a second time. When play began in the second period, coach Viktor Tikhonov replaced the world-renowned Tretyak with backup goalie Vladimir Myshkin. The move, a controversial one to say the least, appeared to work at first. Myshkin was a vacuum between the pipes, giving up nothing in the second period. The Soviet defense clamped down on the Americans, and moved to take the lead early and often in the second. Alexander Maltsev made it a 3-2 affair on a power play goal against Jim Craig, who got knocked for a loop after getting steamrolled by a Soviet forward. He would stay in the game, however, and would himself tighten up between the posts. He wouldn’t allow another goal for the duration of the game.

By the start of the third period, things were not looking very good for the U.S. Team, as Vladimir Myshkin seemed poised for a personal shutout. However, with a raucous crowd chanting “USA! USA!” at every breath, and the emotional pick-me up that it provided, the U.S. Team came out looking like a team possessed in the third. With a Soviet penalty giving the Americans a rare power play, the U.S. squad managed to avoid the Soviet penalty killers, moving the puck into great position on the ice. With time on the power play evaporating, it was Mark Johnson who picked up the goal, his second. It was a powerful shot straight past Myshkin, and the United States pulled even with the Soviets. It was almost as great a dagger to the swagger of the Soviets as the following series of events.

As the halfway point of the final period approached, the invigorated Americans set up an attack run on the tired Soviet defense. With an assist from Jack O’ Callahan to set the play up, Mike Eruzione and Mark Pavelich found themselves near the Soviet goalie. Pavelich played the puck up the ice, allowing Eruzione to position himself between a loose defender and Myshkin. Pavelich found Eruzione open in the high slot, and quickly passed.

Eruzione shoots…

He shoots…

AND SCORES!

The Soviet Union stood in awe. The Americans swarmed on Eruzione, who did his famous high stepping after the goal. With 10:00 minutes separating the United States from destiny, Mike Eruzione had scored the go-ahead goal on what was once thought of as an unbeatable Soviet Union team. Now, the intensity raises tenfold, as the Soviets “get serious” and start launching attack after attack across the U.S. blue line. Jim Craig became something of an icon with his performance in the third, as no U.S. Olympic Hockey team has ever found a goaltender with the capabilities of Jim Craig since. The tired Soviet forwards launched prayer after prayer, scaring the daylights out of most fans along the way. The leadership of Herb Brooks took over here, as he used the superior conditioning of his boys to the fullest. Operating on short shifts, the Americans managed to out skate the Soviets during the final minutes, keeping them from setting up their patented “double teams” on Craig. As the minutes counted down, it became apparent that the Soviets were grasping at any patch of open ice they could find. In a particularly bad call, head coach Tikhonov left the goalie Myshkin in the game during the final minute. Pulling your goalie gives you an extra attacker on the ice, along with a decided advantage. The U.S. team had executed the strategy in their match against Sweden, which saved the Americans from defeat.

Here, the Soviets froze. And it would cost them dearly, as Al Michaels and Ken Dryden excitedly exclaimed. What followed was one of the greatest calls in sports history, in a moment frozen in time…

Michaels: Johnson, over to Ramsey, McClanahan is there! The puck is still loose. Eleven seconds, you’ve got ten seconds! The countdown’s going on right now! Morrow, up to Silk, five seconds left in the game!

Dryden: It’s over!

Michaels: Do you believe in miracles? Yes!

Dryden: Unbelievable!

The Aftermath
A nation rose to its feet, as an era passed. One that had defined hockey for nearly two decades. The mighty Soviets had finally fallen, to their greatest rivals, the Americans. The fans in attendance went wild, as the players swarmed to the ice. Outside of the arena, throngs of people gathered and broke out into various chants and songs. In Washington, D.C. people flashed their lights and honked their horns down the Capital Beltway as word broke of the result. And in a small town outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, a thirty-five year old printer stepped out onto his front porch and began waving the American flag. Every neighbor on his street joined him.

The two games after seem pointless in retrospect, what with the magnitude of the “Miracle on Ice”. For what its worth, the U.S. defeated Finland in the finals to win the Gold Medal outright, while the Soviet Union defeated Sweden easily for the silver medal. Even then, as the national anthem played, and the team swarmed captain Mike Eruzione on the podium, the monumental impact that the game would have wasn’t clear. But as Kurt Russell so eloquently put it in the movie Miracle, for a single night as the country watched, the U.S. Olympic Hockey team gave us all a chance not just to dream but, once again, to believe.

The movie’s tagline is quite apropos, actually. “If you believe in yourself, anything can happen.” For a magical run during the 1980 Winter Olympics, a group of hockey players from the United States of America found it in themselves to believe, an a miracle they created. So if you find yourself watching the Winter Olympics from Torino this coming week, and you catch the American hockey team on the ice, stop and think for a brief moment. Then remember that the impossible is nothing when you have the dream.


Do you believe in Miracles?