The Rivalry Awakens: The Soviets Come To Broad Street

As a exhibition game this game didn't count in the standings but was so important to the Flyers players. It was just one year after the fall of Saigon, and the idea of the world being divided between American and Soviet spheres of influence was still a reality to most observers.

Bobby Clarke would want his team to beat the Red Army as Clark was part of Team Canada who had that ironic series with the Red Army from 1972's Summit Series.

Four years later the Russians invaded in the Super Series tour by Red Army. The Soviet Red Army had beaten New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and tied Montreal Canadiens. So NHL fans were hoping the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions Philadelphia Flyers to restore the good name of the NHL and Canadian hockey in gerneral.

The Broad Street Bullies wouldn't disappoint having the reunion of Canada and the United States coming together to complete the ultimate goal defeat the Russians.

The Flyers didn't disappoint putting a hurting to the Russians on the ice and on the score board as they would go on to a 4-1 win.

Earley in the game Red Army coach Konstantin Loktev yanked his team off the ice in dispute of some rather violent play by the Flyers. Loktev was furious after Flyers' Ed Van Impe would destroy Valeri Kharlamov with a hit you'll never see in today's NHL.

After a 16 minute delay and much pleading from Clarence Campbell and Alan Eagleson, the Soviets returned to the ice, just to get scored on in 17 seconds.

Flyer coach Fred Shero explained how the Flyers won, "They do a lot of unnecessary skating. They do a lot of retreating, hoping to get one man to leave his position. But we wouldn't be enticed out of positon. It takes patience to beat them." He also instructed his forwards to hold the puck as much as possible in the Russian end, which they did , even if it meant not shooting. "I told them to hold the puck for a faceoff if they didn't have a good shot. They're not very good at faceoffs anyway".

The New York Times was colourful in their description of the proceedings, "The triumph of terror over style could not have been more one-sided if Al Capone's mob had ambushed the Bolshoi Ballet dancers. Naturally, it warmed the hearts of the Flyers' followers, who would cheer for Frankenstein if he could skate." The Soviet papers did not hold back with their feelings as evidenced by the cartoon (seen below) published in Pravda the following day.

Milt Dunnell of the Toronto Star wrote, "Loktev knew the conditions before he came. Nobody loves playing in Philadelphia. Once he accepted a game with the Flyers, under NHL rules, with an NHL referee, he was in the same boat as the Toronto Maple Leafs or Vancouver Canucks when they come to town." The Montreal Gazette summed it up in a headline alone,"Flyers Salvage Canada's Pride."

Here's some extra footage form the Philadelphia Flyers historic 4-1 win over the Red Army a story that will live on forever in hockey history.