1975, Dec.28: New York Rangers – CSKA Moskva 3-7
Associated Press: „New York took a 1-0 lead after 21 seconds...Then they got a lesson in hockey fundamentals and strategy... sending in two men to forecheck didn't work – the Russians just went to longer breakout passes, leaving the New York forwards in their tracks... The Rangers continually made one pass too many, once wasting a 72-second period when they had two extra skaters through penalties... The Rangers were suffocated by the close Soviet defense and trailed 7-1 before Rod Gilbert and Phil Esposito scored late in the game.“
United Press International (Jack Saunders): „The Soviet Army hockey team came to the United States hoping to learn something in their games with National Hockey League teams. Sunday night, though, it were the New York Rangers who absorbed a lesson in how to play precision hockey.“
Konstantin Loktev, CSKA coach: „We didn't expect to win so easily. We anticipated facing a very strong type of hockey...The Rangers looked very heavy (sluggish). If they'd waited, instead of going in with just one or two forwards, they'd have improved more...They have a weight problem. They have a carriage problem in skating. They're not as fast as we are. They must improve their conditioning.“
Ron Stewart, Rangers coach: „They don't skate any faster than we do – they just go all the time. They have five men in motion at all times... They never give the puck to the man standing still. They move the puck better than we do... that referee was terrible. We did nothing to take four penalties to their none in the first period.“
Rick Middleton, right wing: „They really move the puck and they really skate...we knew they won't retaliate when they get hit – so we tried to intimidate them a little bit.“
Ron Greschner, defenseman: „They must not feel anything. If I got hit the way I was hitting them, I'd be crawling around the floor.“
Phil Esposito, left wing: „I don't think they dominated us. They were shooting out blind from their zone and we were getting caught...We killed them on faceoffs and we outshot them, but they outdid us on the scoreboards and that, unfortunately, is all that matters.“
John Davidson, goalkeeper: „They never shoot wide...they almost never just dumped the puck in our own zone and chased after it. They always carried it in.“
Steve Vickers, left wing: „I don't think even if we played our best game we would have beaten them.“
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