Zinetula Bilyaletdinov - Vasili Pervukhi

[TheDevilMadeMe]

The great second pairing of the USSR in the early-mid 80s is mostly unknown to North Americans. And yet, I think they have to be considered among the true all-time greats in hockey history:

-The USSR National Team was pretty clearly better than it ever was from the early to mid 80s, and that couldn't all have been the Green Unit.

-Whether you agree with it or not, there is a very plausible argument that the USSR had finally equally Canada in talent at the top (minus Gretzky and Lemieux)

Like I said, these two great players are basically unknowns in North America. We know more about the depth defensemen of the 70s, thanks to websites focusing on the the 1972 Summit Series, or the chidlovski website in general.

This is the thread where I solicit opinions of these two players. Especially interested in accounts of fans who watched them play, especially those who saw them play regularly.

For the record, I have Bilyaletdinov in the ATD and made this profile of him: http://hfboards.com/showpost.php?p=31947671&postcount=163

Here is an earlier profile of Pervukhin: http://hfboards.com/showpost.php?p=26319849&postcount=2

Click to read more...

 

[jarek]

Kings of the Ice felt that the Pervukhin - Bilya pairing was just as reliable as the Fetisov pairing as well. There's a lot to support that the pairing perhaps wasn't AS GOOD as the Fetisov pairing (obviously, neither were as good offensively as Fetisov himself), but in other facets of the game? It's definitely possible.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Here is what I know - pervukhin actually won a single Soviet league all-star nod before Fetisov hit his stride. Then, through the first half of the 80s, when all were in their primes, Fetisov and Kasatonov dominated the all-star voting. Pervukhkin picked up some token votes for Player of the Year after Bilya retired but wasn't close to winning.

When they were all at their peaks, Bilya appears to have been thought of more highly than Pervukhin, at least in North America. Harry Sinden listed Bilya along with Fetisov and Kasatonov as defenseman who could win the Norris in the NHL - almost obviously hyperbole about Kasatonov and Bilya, but it does show how highly thought of they were in North America.

Then the obituary of Moscow Dynamo (which folded in 2005), mentions Bilya as one of the legendary players of the club, listing him along with several much more known players.