 According to Montreal Gazette sports editor Ted Blackman , Canadian players Ken Dryden and Brad Park turned in their first big games of the series . Dryden ended a personal losing streak to Soviet teams dating back to his amateur career and two previous games in the series . In his opinion , the Canadian penalty @-@ killing unit of Serge Savard , Peter Mahovlich , Bill White and Pat Stapleton was " brilliant " as it held the Soviets to one power play goal despite the disadvantage in penalty minutes . Savard himself was recovering from a fractured ankle during the series . According to commentator Brian Conacher , Team Canada had adjusted its game to not play " dump and chase " but instead retain possession in the offensive zone . The strategy led directly to Henderson 's winning goal on an interception of an errant Soviet pass . According to Conacher , " for the first time , the Soviets had opened the door a crack and Team Canada had rushed through like a freight train . " 
