Anatoli Firsov- A video study

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Alongside with the Green Unit puck possession while penalty killing video study I have also worked on a video study of Anatoli Firsovs game based on the available games on youtube. This first post will focus on Firsovs ability to prevent the other team from scoring when he was on the ice and which of his qualities as a player I believe to have been the key in this. The next post will deal with Firsovs offensive game.

The games which have been used for this study is the following.

Full games

USSR-Canada 1964 Olympics
USSR-CSSR 1967 WHC
USSR-Canada 1967 WHC
USSR-West Germany 1968 Olympics
USSR-Sweden 1968 Olympics
USSR-Canada 1968 Olympics
USSR-CSSR 1969 WHC
USSR-Sweden 1969 WHC
USSR-Sweden 1970 WHC (group game)
USSR-Sweden 1970 WHC (final round)

Partial games

USSR-Finland 1968 Olympics (only the third period)
USSR-USA 1968 Olympics (approximately 2 periods worth of footage)

So we have 10 full games and 2 partial games which approximately equals 1 full game of footage. So all in all we have 11 games worth of footage of prime Firsov.

Before doing this study I had already watched all of these games except for one (the 1968 West Germany game) but I had never done it with so much focus on Firsov.

During the Top-50 Non-NHL European project it was brought up by VMBM that Firsov not was on the ice for a single goal against during the 1969 WHC and only for one goal against during the 1972 Olympics. Here is the quote.

According to a Finnish sports book, the Soviets did not allow a single goal when Firsov was on the ice at the 1969 World Championships (USSR allowed 23 goals in the tournament). And according to the same book, the Vikulov-Firsov-Kharlamov-Tsygankov-Ragulin unit allowed only 1 goal (and scored masses) at the 1972 Olympics, and Firsov had very much a defensive/playmaking kind of role in the tournament.

This made me want to look at whether Firsovs ability to prevent goals against would be possible to see during the available games on youtube too. And it turned out that it was. In the available games with Firsov he was only on the ice for 1 goal against at even strenght (against Sweden in 1968) and 1 goal against while penalty killing (against West Germany in 1968). So all in all only 2 goals against during approximately 11 games. As a comparison the Mikhailov, Petrov and Kharlamov line was on the ice for more goals against during these games even if they only played in 4 of them.

If we add the remaining 8 games from the 1969 WHC which are not available on youtube and the 5 games from the 1972 Olympics to the 11 available games we see that Firsov only was on the ice for 3 goals against during a sample size of 24 games. So in my opinion we have a very good reason to believe that Firsov had some abilities which often helped him and his linemates to prevent the other team from scoring while he was on the ice.

Based on watching these games focusing on him I would personally say that one of Firsovs most important qualities when it came to prevent the other teams from scoring was his ability to help out his defencemen with the transition from defence to offence by giving them support along the boards and make great passes from his own zone. Firsov also had the ability to use his stickwork to steal pucks from his opponents and regain puck possession for his team. Firsov was also a player who was not afraid to get his nose dirty. He was a hard worker along the boards both offensively and defensively and he was most of the time very responsible on the backcheck when he had to cover up for when some player had been caught out of position.

First I will show some examples of Firsovs ability and willingness to help his defencemen with the transition out of the defensive zone. Firsov was very good at making himself available for receiving passes along the boards close to the blueline (in his own zone) and from there make a play to breakout of the defensive zone.

Here we have a first great example of this. Firsov makes a really clever play along the boards to get the puck out of the zone and at the same time starts a dangerous counterattack.

Firsov gets the puck along the boards from his defenceman and then makes a nice move and passes it to Yakushev in the middle who then finds Volkov for a chance on the quick counterattack.

Firsov makes a great one-touch pass from his own zone to keep puck possession.

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Firsov makes a great one-touch pass from his own zone to keep puck possession.

Firsov makes a great pass from his own zone to give Vikulov a one against one. Vikulov makes a great move and scores.


This is another example of Firsovs ability to help his teams transition from defence to offence. Intercepts a pass and makes a great one-touch pass to Polupanov who can start a counterattack.

 

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This time Firsov and his line uses another strategy to break out of their own zone. Firsov passes the puck along the boards all the way to Vikulov on the other side who makes a one-touch cross-ice pass back to Firsov who uses his speed to breakout and get a counterattack.


Firsov makes a great play along the boards to breakout of his zone.


Firsov makes a clever play along the boards while penalty killing and the Soviets can clear the puck.

 

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Firsov makes a one-touch pass to Vikulov who can counterattack.


Firsov gives support along the boards when the Soviets builds up an attack from the backend.

 

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Another example of Firsov finding a pass to break out after a defensive zone face-off.


Nothing spectacular but Firsov once again is in a great position along the boards to help with the transition to offence.

 

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Here Firsov shows many of the qualities I talked about earlier. He first helps Ragulin along the boards in his own zone and then after a rush up the ice carrying the puck he works hard in the offensive zone.


A great play from Firsov. Here he shows his ability to quickly transition from defence to offence. He intercepts a pass from Tord Lundström, then sets up Mikhailov for a breakaway and a goal.


Firsov combines with Ragulin and Ivanov to build up a Soviet attack from the backend.

 

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Lets move on to Firsovs ability to pick other players pockets and steal pucks.

Here we can see Firsovs ability to pickpocket. While penaltykilling he first skates the puck out of his own zone. After he loses controll of the puck Firsov comes back and picks Pospisils pocket and almost scores a shorthanded goal.


Great shift from Firsov. First he makes a great pick pocket and makes a great pass to Vikulov who gets a chance to shot. Then he steals the puck another time and makes some more good passes.


Firsov steals the puck and works hard in the offensive zone.

 

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Another example of Firsovs hard work and puck stealing abilities.


Great shift from Firsov. Here he shows both his ability to work hard, steal the puck and make good passes.


Firsov first dumps the puck into the offensive zone and then steals the puck.

 

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After missing a offensive zone cross-ice pass Firsov backchecks and regains the puck with a steal.

Another steal.


Yet another example of when Firsov uses his stickwork to get the puck away from his opponent.

 

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Firsov works hard and steals the puck from Lars-Erik Sjöberg.

Once again Firsov uses his stickwork to make a defensive play.

 

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Firsov steals the puck and draws a swedish penalty.


Firsov manage to intercept a pass from Golonka and makes Golonka take a penalty.


Firsov pokes the puck away from the Canadian defenceman.

 

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Firsovs combination of skill and hard work also made him a great puck possesion player in the offensive zone. And puck possession is of course a very effective way to prevent your opponents from scoring.

Firsov works very hard and protects the puck along the boards. At the end of the shift he makes a great pass to give Vikulov a chance.


Firsov again does a great job at protecting the puck in the offensive zone and creates a shot opportunity for Polupanov.


Firsov and his linemates Vikulov and Polupanov has a very good shift and does a great job with protecting the puck in the offensive zone until Polupanov almost gets a chance in front of the net.

 

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Firsov first does a great job protecting the puck along the boards and then gets it deep where his linemates Vikulov and Polupanov works hard. Then Firsov gets the puck back and moves around another defenceman and throws the puck at the net. The puck goes through the traffic in front and into the net.


Firsov makes some good plays to keep the puck possession on his team.


First Firsov dumps the puck in and then after they have retrieved the puck the Firsov-Polupanov-Vikulov line has another strong shift in the offensive zone. Firsov gets a chance at the end.

 

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Puck possession was one of Firsovs main strenghts while penalty killing too. Now Firsov may not have been quite as skilled as someone like Makarov when it came to holding on to the puck on the penalty kill but it was still one of his strenghts. Here we have some examples of this.

Here we have Firsov and Ivanov doing a great job holding on to the puck while penalty killing 3 against 5. The second time that Firsov holds on to the puck he also manages to make the Czechoslovakians take a penalty.


Firsov scores a great shorthanded goal after holding on to the puck and combining with Ragulin and Polupanov.


Here Firsov uses his brilliant puck skills to skate the puck out his own zone and hold on to it for abit while penalty killing before he fires a shot at the Czechoslovakian net from center-ice. A great example of his famous skate to stick move.

 

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Firsov makes some good moves on a offensive rush while penalty killing.


Firsov and Vikulov kills some time on the penalty kill. Look at Firsovs turn in the beginning.

 

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Firsov wins a faceoff and creates a shorthanded chance for Vikulov.


Here Firsov makes some nice moves and holds on to the puck while penalty killing. Sure the West German team already seems to have given up so their effort is what it is but it is still possible to see Firsovs abilities.

 

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As you could see in some of the puck possession clips Firsov did not shy away from physical play for the most part. Here are some more examples of this.

Firsov makes a great play along the boards against Canada.


Firsov shows great balance along the boards before making a great play which gives Maltsev a good chance.


Firsov against Carl Brewer.

 

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When Firsov did get hit he seemed to be able to take it very well. Here he just jumps back up for example.

The only hit that seemed to take the air out of him was this one from Jaroslav Holik at the beginning of the 1967 game. But then Firsov went on to have what I probably consider his finest game among the available footage. So he seemed to have taken that hit very well too.

 

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So lets now look at some examples of backchecking and responsible defensive play from Firsov.

Here Firsov shows some of his speed while backchecking. After a faceoff in the offensive zone Firsov almost gets a chance at the side of the net but the pass to him is intercepted and the Canadians can counterattack. Even if Firsov is on his way forward and has to turn he still manages to be the first forward back and help his defencemen.


Firsov first backchecks and pokechecks the puck away from Tord Lundström. Then he makes a great offensive play right after.


Good shift from Firsov. First he backckecks hard. Then he makes a great pass and gets a shot opportunity. At the end of it he makes some nice moves too.

 

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A example of responsible backchecking by Firsov who backchecks hard and gets on the right side of his opponent to turn a possible 3 against 2 into a 3 against 3.


Here is the example that I brought up during the Non-NHL European project to describe Firsovs hard work.

After that he backchecks deep into his own zone, wins a puck battle at the boards and starts a counterattack.

 

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Another example of a good backcheck effort from Firsov.


Firsov backchecks and ties up the stick of Björn Palmqvist.


Firsov first backchecks and then counterattacks and gets a shot off at the Canadian net. Later in the shift Firsov scores a brilliant goal.

 

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Here we see a example of when Firsov makes a very responsible choice and covers up defensively when the Canadian team tries to counterattack.


Another example of Firsovs defensive play.

 

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Firsov first helps out Davydov along the boards in his own zone and gets tripped up but manages to get the puck out. When Davydov joins the attack Firsov stays back and takes his place on defence when the Canadian team counterattacks.


Lars-Erik Sjöberg tries to get an attack started but Firsov intercepts his pass and clears the puck out of the zone.

 

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This post will focus more on Firsovs offensive qualities. While Firsov may not have been quite as impressive as someone like Kharlamov when it comes to beating his opponent with skating and moves he was still very effective at it. Here we have some examples of this.

Firsov makes some great moves past 3 opponents.

First Firsov makes a nice pass and then he makes some nice moves to gain the offensive zone.

Nice rush from Firsov showing both his skating and stickhandling.

 

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Another nice rush after a combination with Davydov.

Here Firsov shows his great skating again. Look at how easily he moves past his opponents.

Nice rush from Firsov to get the puck in deep.