Alexander Gusev

Alexander Gusev was a big defenseman known as a physical player and hard open-ice hitter in the Soviet league, but as Vyacheslav Gavrilin of Krasnaya Zvezda wrote: Gusev couldn't intimidate the Canadians with bodychecks like he does Soviet players in league play. He came to lose confidence in himself. The aggressiveness and never-quit attitude of the Canadian forwards shocked him."

Gusev was also known in Russia for his booming slapshot. He would score only once with that shot in this series, but it was a huge goal. It tied the game in game 5 before Vladimir Vikulov scored the game winning goal to cap off an amazing comeback from a 4-1 deficit to capture the third Soviet victory, winning 5-4.

Gusev played in 6 of 8 games, and would serve him well in becoming an elite player in the latter half of 1970s.