By the time the Buffalo Sabres were visited by Red Army on Jan. 3, 1980, the history of the Super Series had been decidedly in favor of the Soviets.
The Sabres had beaten the Soviet Wings, 12-6, during the 1976 series - that game aired Thursday on "Sabres Classics" - but it was one of only two wins for the NHL in eight games that year. NHL teams won just three of nine games during the 1978 and 1979 series.
The 1980 series brought two Russian teams, the Moscow Dynamo and the Red Army, to play a combined nine games against NHL opponents. The Red Army won its first two games against the New York Rangers and Islanders, then lost 4-2 to the Montreal Canadiens.
Then came the matchup with the Sabres, who had not lost their scoring touch against the Soviets. Though they didn't quite match the record 12 goals from 1976, they earned a convincing 6-1 victory over the Red Army and future Hall of Game goaltender Vladislav Tretiak.
Danny Gare (playing amid a 56-goal campaign) and Ric Seiling each scored twice in the victory. Don Edwards, on his way to winning the Vezina Trophy, earned the victory in net for Buffalo. The game re-airs tonight at 8 p.m. on MSG.
The Red Army followed the loss with a 6-4 victory over Quebec in their final Super Series game. They lost to Team USA in the "Miracle on Ice" at the 1980 Winter Olympics the following month.
