MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens say the reason they lost 6-1 to the Soviet touring Central Red Army hockey team Tuesday is no secret.
The Soviets have a better team.
'We started out well, but then we tried to play with them,' Canadiens forward Guy Carbonneau said. 'We don't have a team that can wheel like them. Those are the best players in Russia, they have a hell of a team.'
Canadiens defenseman Rick Green said he learned a lot playing against them.
'They impressed me the way they always have a guy moving to get into the open when they have possession of the puck,' he said. 'They play a possession game. They don't dump it often, they move the puck better than we do.'
Canadiens defenseman Larry Robinson played against the Red Army squad in a 3-3 tie at The Forum exactly 10 years ago in a game widely accepted as one of international hockey's all-time thrillers. He was impressed by the strength, speed and agility displayed by Army.
'You think you have them and then, zip, they're by you,' Robinson said. 'They shoot well even on the move. They always keep they're feet moving. You don't see any bad skater on their team.
The Central Red Army was led by Sergei Makarov, who scored a hat trick.
It was the fourth game and third victory of Army's six-game exhibition series against National Hockey League teams.
The Canadiens, who outshot Army 24-22, broke Soviet goalie Sergei Milinkov's shutout bid at 8:47 of the final period on Mats Naslund's slapshot from inside the faceoff circle.
Makarov scored his first goal at 16:20 of the first period with a 15-foot wrist shot that went in over the left shoulder of Canadiens' goalie Doug Soetaert.
The 5-foot-8 Makarov was fed the puck on a cross-ice pass by Vladimir Krutov on a 2-on-1 against Canadiens rookie defenseman Mike Lalor.
Both Makarov and Krutov are Soviet League first-team All-Stars and, along with 5-10 Victor Tiumenev, form the Red Army's top line.
Alexander Veselov gave the Soviets a 2-0 lead at 7:50 ofthe second period when he lifted the rebound off his wrist shot over a prone Soetaert. On the play, Canadiens defenseman Larry Robinson fell down, allowing Veselov to pick up the rebound.
The Soviets' top line struck again 7:55 later when Krutov poke-checked Lalor at the side of the Montreal net and fed a pass in front to Makarov, who backhanded it past Soetaert.
Irek Gimaev scored at 3:09 of the third period on a 45-foot slap shot through Soetaert's legs.
Two minutes later, Soetaert dropped Viacheslav Bukov's long wrist shot and it dribbled into the net.
Makarov completed the hat trick on a four-way passing play during a Soviet power play at 8:03 of the final period.
Patrick Roy replaced Soetaert in the Canadeins' net after the sixth Soviet goal.
There were few penalties called, but it was a hard-hitting game. Despite their overall smaller stature, the speedy Soviets, who train extensively with weights, played a physical game along the boards.
Only six of the Soviet players are 6 feet or taller, but that didn't stop them from trading big hits with the taller and heavier Canadiens.
At one point in the second period, Montreal's 6-3, 220-pound defenseman Rick Green brought his elbows up and collided solidly at center ice with Soviet forward Mikhail Vasiliev. The crowd groaned when the 5-9, 170-pound Vasiliev did not go down.
Army got off to a slow start, registering their first shot on goal after only seven minutes of play.
But the swift-skating Soviets took control in the second half of the first period and never looked back, repeatedly bottling the Canadiens in their own zone with persistent forechecking.
