1976-77 USSR National Team

1976-77

The Soviet National team arrived for an eight game exhibition tour of WHA clubs, beginning December 27, 1976. The powerful Soviet squads (Red Army and Wings) had a 5-2-1 record against NHL competition the previous year, and the WHA was not expected to improve on the record much. The Soviets handled the WHA, winning six of the eight games.

Game 1 • December 27, 1976 New England 5, USSR 2 George Lyle scored two 3rd-period goals to pad a slim 3-2 lead and assure New England of defeating the Soviets. The Whalers scored three goals in the first period, outshooting the Soviets 19-6. The Soviets had come within a goal on an early 3rd-period goal by Alexander Yakushev, but Lyle's two goals gave New England some breathing room and the eventual victory. USSR 1 0 1 - 2 New England 3 0 2 - 5 1st period: 1. NE: Swain (D. Roberts, Earl) 4:16; 2. NE: Earl (Hangsleben) 15:26; 3. USSR: Maltsev (Golikov, Bilialetdinov) 16:26; 4. NE: MacGregor (Bolduc, Backstrom) 17:19. 2nd period: No scoring. 3rd period: 5. USSR: Yakushev (Shalimov) 5:22; 6. NE: Lyle (Troy, G. Roberts) 7:27; 7. NE: Lyle (Rogers, Pleau) 19:07. Shots: USSR: 8-13-13—33, NE: 19-3-16—36. Goaltenders: USSR: Tretiak, NE: Raeder. Game 2 • December 28, 1976 USSR 7, Cincinnati 5 The Soviets took an early lead but could not seem to shake the persistent Stingers. Down 3-1 at the midway point of the game, Cincinnati then scored twice to force a 3-3 tie in the early 3rd period. The two teams then traded goals to up the tally to 5-5. Two late goals by the Soviets finally put away the Stingers. Vladimir Petrov had a hat trick for the Soviet side, while Richie Leduc had two goals and an assist during the Stingers' 3rd-period rally. USSR 1 2 4 - 7 Cincinnati 0 2 3 - 5 1st period: 1. USSR: A. Vikulov (Babinov) 15:48. 2nd period: 2. USSR: Pervukhin (Balderis, Kharlamov) 0:33; 3. Cin: Stoughton (Carroll, Hughes) 7:12; 4. USSR: Petrov (Kharlamov, Pervukhin) 8:48; 5. Cin: Larose (Carroll, Plumb) 11:24. 3rd period: 6. Cin: Leduc 0:31; 7. USSR: Petrov 3:40; 8. Cin: Leduc (Dudley, Abgrall) 7:32; 9. USSR: Shalimov (Bilialetdinov, Yakushev) 8:40; 10. Cin: Dudley (Leduc, Abgrall) 11:05; 11. USSR: Petrov (Balderis, Trygankov) 13:36; 12. USSR: Balderis (Petrov) 16:56 Shots: USSR: 13-10-8—31, Cin: 12-16-15—43. Goaltenders: USSR: Sidelnikov, Cin: Hoganson.

Game 3 • December 30, 1976 USSR 10, Houston 1 The game was close for the first 30 minutes, the Aeros just down a goal, 2-1, before the wheels came off. The Soviets then scored seven goals in a little over eight minutes, and eight goals overall in the 2nd period, to demolish the Aeros. Vladimir Petrov and Alexander Golikov had two goals each. USSR 1 8 1 - 10 Houston 1 0 0 - 1 1st period: 1. USSR: Krikunov 5:16; 2. Hou: Preston (G. Howe) 9:21. 2nd period: 3. USSR: Babinov 2:19; 4. USSR: Yakushev (Shadrin, Shalimov) 10:47; 5. USSR: Balderis 13:13; 6. USSR: Kovin (Maltsev) 14:10; 7. USSR: Petrov (Balderis) 16:03; 8. USSR: Shalimov (Lutchenko) 17:26; 9. USSR: Golikov (Kovin, Maltsev) 18:12; 10. USSR; Petrov (Tsygankov) 18:56. 3rd period: 11. USSR: Golikov (Petrov) 16:06. Shots: USSR: 10-20-6—36, Hou: 10-9-9—28. Goaltenders: USSR: Tretiak and Sidelnikov, Hou: Grahame and Rutledge. Game 4 • January 1, 1977 USSR 5, Indianapolis 2 The Russians and Racers played one another even through 30 minutes, knotted at 2 goals, before Alexander Golikov netted a goal midway through the 2nd period. The score would prove to be the game winner, as the Racers remained silent and the Soviets scored twice more in the third to close out the scoring. USSR 0 3 2 - 5 Indianapolis 0 2 0 - 2 1st period: No scoring. 2nd period: 1. USSR: Maltsev (Golikov, Bilialetdinov) 2:33; 2. USSR: Kharlamov (Mikhailov) 3:30; 3. Ind: Harris (MacDonald, Block) 8:50; 4. Ind: Block (Sicinski, Peacosh) 9:44; 5. USSR: Golikov (Maltsev) 11:40. 3rd period: 6. USSR: Liapkin (Pervukhin, Kharlamov) 8:28; 7. USSR: Balderis (Petrov, Lutchenko) 14:27. Shots: USSR: 12-15-13—40; Ind: 10-9-8—27. Goaltenders: USSR: Sidelnikov, Ind: Park and Dion.

Game 5 • January 3, 1977 USSR 6, San Diego 3 Don Burgess and Wayne Rivers scored two first-peroiod goals to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead, which they held until late in the second period. The Soviets rattled off four consecutive goals to take a 4-2 lead. After Paul Shmyr put San Diego to within a goal, two more late goals sealed the Soviet victory. Boris Mikhailov had two goals for the Soviets. USSR 0 3 3 - 6 San Diego 2 0 1 - 3 1st period: 1. SD: Burgess (French) 2:11; 2. SD: Rivers (Pinder, Hughes) 16:31. 2nd period: 3. USSR: Mikhailov (Kharlamov, Petrov) 4:29; 4. USSR: Yakushev (Petrov, Babinov) 17:39; 5. USSR: Petrov (Lutchenko, Babinov) 19:17. 3rd period: 6. USSR: Krikunov (Balderis, Pervukhoin) 2:05; 7. SD: Shmyr (Lacroix) 14:13; 8. USSR: Maltsev (Golikov) 15:54; 9. USSR: Mikhailov (Kharlamov, Petrov) 18:14. Shots: USSR: 7-17-9—33; SD: 5-6-9—20. Goaltenders: USSR: Tretiak, SD: Lockett and Wakely. Game 6 • January 5, 1977 USSR 3, Edmonton 2 Two goals by Alexander Yakushev made the difference as the Soviets pulled out a 3-2 in over Edmonton. The Oilers' two goals were scored by recent arrival Wayne Connelly. USSR 1 1 1 - 3 Edmonton 0 1 1 - 2 1st period: 1. USSR: Yakushev (Shalimov, Krikunov) 14:27. 2nd period: 2. Edm: Connelly (St. Sauveur, Rota) 3:21; 3. USSR: Priordin (Bilialetdinov) 18:23. 3rd period: 4. USSR: Yakushev (Shadrin, Shalimov) 13:59; 5. Edm: Connelly (Campbell, Wilkins) 16:22. Shots: USSR: 8-7-8—23; Edm: 12-6-10—28. Goaltenders: USSR: Sidelnikov, Edm: Broderick.

Game 7 • January 6, 1977 USSR 3, Winnipeg 2 The Soviets pulled out another 3-2 nailbiter, scooting past Winnipeg behind another two goals by Alexander Yakushev. Bobby Hull's early second-period goal tied that game at 1-1. The Soviets scored twice more in the second, then held on as Winnipeg scored just another goal late in the game to settle the scoring. USSR 1 2 0 - 3 Winnipeg 0 1 1 - 2 1st period: 1. USSR: Yakushev (Shadrin, Shalimov) 9:35. 2nd period: 2. Wpg: Hull (Bergman) 0:20; 3. USSR: Balderis 10:48; 4. USSR: Yakushev (Babinov) 13:23. 3rd period: 5. Wpg: Long (Lindh, Moffatt) 17:21. Shots: USSR: 10-14-7—31; Wpg: 9-12-9—30. Goaltenders: USSR: Tretiak, Wpg: Daley. Game 8 • January 8, 1977 Quebec 6, USSR 1 The Quebec Nordiques pounced early, scoring four first-period goals and never once falling behind the Soviets, who could manage just a single goal. Curt Brackenbury was the team's scoring star, his first period goal starting the scoring and then scoring again in the second period. Vladislav Tretiak was not sharp, and was pulled midway through the third period, one of the rare occasions that Tretiak was ever pulled in the middle of a period. USSR 1 0 0 - 1 Quebec 3 2 1 - 6 1st period: 1. Que: Brackenbury (Fitchner) 6:49; 2. Que: S. Bernier (P. Bordeleau, Weir) 9:23; 3. USSR: Mikhailov (Kharlamov, Lutchenko) 12:40; 4. Que: Tardif (Tremblay, C. Bordeleau) 16:34. 2nd period: 5. Que: Brackenbury (Sutherland, Fitchner) 6:02; 6. Que: C. Bordeleau (Cloutier, Tremblay) 14:02. 3rd period: 7. Que: Dube (Baxter, Boudrias) 9:20. Shots: USSR: 8-12-10—30; Que: 12-9-17—38. Goaltenders: USSR: Tretiak and Sidelnikov, Que: Humphreys.

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