Ken Dryden summed up for us a while back that a 21st century hockey rival for Canada, post-Iron Curtain, could be hard to get a hate-on for.
“It used to be ‘Us’ against ‘Them’,” the great goalie said of showdowns versus the Soviet Union between 1972 and the early ‘90s. “But now, there’s no ‘Them’ anymore.”
At least until the Russians stop unfriendly takeovers, end sanctions against themselves and restore their full participation in all sports.
In the meantime, enter young, talented, in-your-face Team USA and its bombastic new patron, Donald Trump. Between the former’s robust tactics and the latter’s rhetoric, events such as the 4 Nations Face-Off have ratcheted up emotions again, likely to carry through the Winter Olympics in less than 12 months.
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It made Connor McDavid’s tournament overtime winner Thursday in the Boston hot box much more meaningful on this side of the fence, drew 9.3 million viewers on ESPN and ignited opinion on how high it should rank in the Great Canadian Goal debate.
We list our previous favourites that put the country in celebration mode:
Paul Henderson, Sept. 28, 1972
As Game 8 wound down against the Russians, with Team Canada already clawing back in the Summit Series in Moscow with two Henderson winning goals, the Leaf winger uncharacteristically shouted for Peter Mahovlich to get off the ice.
Call it a sense of destiny, as Henderson missed his first opportunity, a pass from Yvan Cournoyer and skidded past goalie Vladislav Tretiak into the boards. He bounced back into the play when the Russians couldn’t clear to knock in a Phil Esposito rebound with 34 seconds to play. He rescued the nation’s pride in a series it was supposed to romp in, which had turned into a bitter political Cold War.
Sidney Crosby, Feb. 10, 2010
The pressure was on to win the host Olympics, but the Americans weren’t going away in the gold medal final.
The two nations had clashed in 2002 in Salt Lake City with Canada ending its long Games’ title drought and the Americans wanted revenge on this side of the fence. Zach Parise’s late goal with the U.S. net empty forced overtime and tested nerves coast-to-coast.
The arena was packed with red and white who held their breath when Joe Pavelski almost beat Roberto Luongo to complete the upset. But from there, Sidney Crosby led the ensuing rush back and kept digging for the puck, eventually getting it to linemate Jarome Iginla. Yelling for Iginla to return it, Sid unleashed a quick shot from low in the face-off circle when American goalie Ryan Miller thought he was going to stickhandle first.
The arena – and the country – went bonkers.
“I dreamed of this moment,” Crosby said. “It’s pretty incredible.”
Mario Lemieux, Sept. 15, 1987
Nothing came closer to capturing the spirit of ‘72 than this Canada Cup, culminating with a three-game final, all ending in the same 6-5 score as Moscow. Wayne Gretzky at his finest, lifting the often-reluctant superstar Mario Lemieux to join him.
This time, it was a late Soviet goal at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton that tied the score in the deciding match and unnerved fans, after Canada had erased a 4-2 deficit and held the lead. But with 96 seconds to play, the late Dale Hawerchuk won a defensive zone draw with the aforementioned 99 and 66 and pushed the disc towards Lemieux who saw the rushing Gretzky on his radar.
Gretzky had defenceman Larry Murphy jumping up as his lateral pass option, but chose the more creative drop to Lemieux, surprising goalie Sergei Mylnikov.
“No offence to Larry, but I was going to Mario,” Gretzky said assuredly.
Darryl Sittler, Sept. 15, 1976
The first Canada Cup introduced best-on-best among world powers who were allowed to bring NHLers. To the surprise of many, it wasn’t the Russians who ended up in the best-of-three final after Canada beat them, but unorthodox goalie Vladimir Dzurilla and the Czechoslovakians, who’d already surprised the Canucks, 1-0 in round robin.
After a 6-0 Canadian cruise, Game 2 was tied 4-4 in overtime at the Montreal Forum. Sittler, who already that calendar year had a 10-point night and five-goal playoff outing, was sent in on a partial breakaway by Marcel Dionne. Keeping a tip in mind from assistant coach Don Cherry to keep the puck a fraction longer and get Dzurilla to commit, Sittler gave himself an empty net.
Jordan Eberle, Jan. 3, 2009
Considered Canada’s greatest world junior goal, it only tied this semi-final game, not win it, but was just as good.
Up 5-4 in Ottawa, the Russians went for the empty netter, missed and created a faceoff in their end. Defenceman Ryan Ellis made a key play to hold the line and John Tavares’ blind backhand at the net was partially blocked by a defender just as Eberle skated through, seizing the puck and burying a toe-drag goal with 5.4 seconds to play.
“I was the beneficiary of five guys winning battles,” Eberle said, going on to score the first goal in the eventual shootout victory, opening the door to beat Sweden for the country’s fifth straight junior title.
Marie-Philip Poulin, Feb. 20, 2014 and Aug. 31, 2021
Her first of two in finals against the U.S. came in the Sochi Olympics a 3-2 overtime win after Canada trailed 2-0 with less than four minutes to go. She also had the tying goal after the U.S. hit the post on a late 6-on-5.
The second, also in OT was in Calgary at the worlds, also a recovery down by two. During back and forth 3-on-3 overtime, Brianne Jenner spotted Poulin coming through the middle at top speed. Just staying on-side, Poulin snapped it glove side on goalie Nicole Hensley.
The puck exited so quickly that play continued a few moments until video review stopped play and halted the Americans’ streak at five straight women’s world championships.