 Team Canada assistant coach Ferguson felt that the Canadians had gotten over @-@ confident . " I was fooled again . I felt that after we had taken a 3 – 1 lead , the final score might be something like 7 – 1 . But those two short @-@ handed goals . When you score one short @-@ handed goal it can turn it all around . But two ? That 's almost fatal . " According to Tim Burke of the Montreal Gazette , both goaltenders , Tony Esposito and Vladislav Tretiak , reached great heights , or the outcome could have been 10 – 10 . Tretiak was making an unexpected start for the Soviets . The Soviets had planned to start Viktor Zinger , but he was reported to be ill before the game . The Soviets coach Bobrov complained about the refereeing and the play of Wayne Cashman , stating that " if that game had been played in Europe , he would have spent the whole game in the penalty box . " 
