In the first game, held in Montreal, Phil Esposito scored for Canada after just 30 seconds of play. Canada took a two-goal lead six minutes in, and victory seemed assured. But the Russians came, tying the score before the end of the first period. In the second period, Valery Kharlamov scored twice, giving the Russians a two-goal lead. Bobby Clarke scored to bring Canada within one, but the Russians pulled away with three more goals in the third, and won 7-3.

Canada came back strong in the second game, winning 4-1, and then let the lead slip away in game 3, for a 4-4 tie. But Canada played poorly in game 4 in Vancouver, losing 5-3, and the crowd of 15,570 fans echoed the rest of Canada's sentiments as they routinely booed Team Canada. At the end of the game, Team Canada was booed off the ice, which led to Phil Esposito's famous emotional outburst on national television:

"To the people across Canada, we tried. We gave it our best. To the people who booed us, geez, all of us guys are really disheartened. We're disillusioned and disappointed. We cannot believe the bad press we've got, the booing we've got in our own building. I'm completely disappointed. I cannot believe it. Every one of us guys -- 35 guys -- we came out because we love our country. Not for any other reason. We came because we love Canada."

This lit a fire under Team Canada and the whole country. Team Canada went to the Soviet Union for games 5-8 as a team, accompanied by 3,000 proud Canadian fans. Unfortunately, Canada lost game 5 in Moscow, 5-4.

Game 6 saw Canada win 3-2, and also saw the most controversial play of the entire series. Bobby Clarke deliberately slashed Valery Kharlamov's ankle in an attempt to injure him. He left game 6, missed game 7 and was ineffectual in game 8. Canada won game 7 4-3, and forced a deciding game 7.

Entering game 8, each team had 3 wins, 3 losses and 1 tie, but the Russians were ahead on goal differential, so Canada had to win in order to win the series. The score was 2-2 after the first period, but the Russians pulled ahead 5-3 after two. Phil Esposito and Ivan Cournoyer scored to even it up in the third.

Then with 34 seconds remaining in the game, Paul Henderson scored Canada's most-famous goal ever, jamming in a rebound behind Soviet goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. Canada held on for the win in the game and the series and the entire country erupted in celebration. The Russians had given Canada a scare and a run for their money, but Canada had prevailed in the end.