Having been frequently beaten by the Soviets in his international hockey career through the 60's, Brooks felt that the only way to beat them was to outplay them, abandoning the overly physical style favoured in North America at the time and transitioning to a skill-based game more suited to the wider rinks in use at the Olympics. Tied 2-2 through the first period, the Soviets took the lead for the third time in the match early in the second period but the turning point had come earlier than that, when Soviet coach Viktor Tikhonov replaced legendary goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. The Soviets launched a furious assault on the American goal, creating a huge number of chances as the US crowd began to scream themselves hoarse — it's actually quite hard to hear the commentary in the closing stages, so loud was the cacophony from the stands.
Author: Simon Smale
Published at: 2026-02-21 19:24:53
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