Czechoslovakia had an enormous Goalie issue that was going to kill them no matter what. As great as the USSR was they went with a shockingly young D Core in 1980. Kasatonov was 20 Fetisov was 21 Starikov was 21 Those 3 were younger than Morrow, Baker, O'Callahan and Suter!!!l Baker and Morrow were were 3 years older than Kasatonov and 2 years older than Starikov. At those ages that a lot development wise. Makes you wonder what happened to the Soviet Dman pipeline for guys born from 1950-55? Honestly I think the D Core pool of US Dmen born 1956 and 1957 was way better than USSR pool. 1956 Reed Larson, Ken Morrow 1957 Rod Langway, Gord Roberts Jack of Callahan Pervukhin looks like the only '56 or '57 of consequence for the USSR. What a bad couple of years and going back to '55 only Zenatula Bileyaletinov was on the USSR Team. I would say Mike O'Connell was almost as good. The USSR relied on a great top 7 Fetisov, Vasiliev and Tretiak. Honestly if you got housed a Team Canada for a full year I doubt they lose to the USSR.
In fact if you put together the best US players both NCAA\NHL thus team IMO would have been capable of winning 2 games in a 7 game series against the USSR. They wouldn't beat them more than twice but I could see twice. Biggest deficiency would be goal, then forward but the US D Core I would take by a little bit. Forward core definitely goes to the USSR. Team USA G - Steve Baker - Craig D - Langway - O'Connell Roberts - Morrow Ramsey - Larson Milbury C - Howe - Ftorek - Pavelich - Broten LW - Jensen - Fidler - Johnson - B Miller RW - Holmgren - Talafous - Rowe Mullen Gorence Mark Howe was a fantastic hockey player. IMO after a half year playing center would have been a legit 1C in the NHL but was so good on D. Howe played a lot of LW in '79-80 for Hartford and there is history for great skating Dmen playing a bit of center as Bobby Orr and Phil Housley did. That US Team had 3 HOF with Langway (he broke out in the 1970-80 season), Howe and Mullen.
