It’s pretty clear that the Soviets were badly underestimating the USA team. They had beaten them earlier in an exhibition game 10-3. The second USA goal was inexcusable; at the end of the second period, off a rebound that the goalie should’ve controlled, with two USSR defensemen standing around watching the clock tick down to zero rather than actually, y’know, defending. I re-watched the highlights on Youtube yesterday and was struck by how the Soviets seemed to be moving at half-speed, like a practice, until Eruzione’s goal woke them up into sheer flailing panic mode.
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Sorry, end of the first period. I’d forgotten that it was 2-2 at the end of the first and that’s when the Soviet coach pulled Tretiak and put in the other goalie.
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