Paul Henderson's Summit Series winner turns 44

Know your history, kids. Never give up on a play, and always keep your stick on the ice.

It was 1972. The Cold War era. Canada against the Soviet Union in the Summit Series - the first time the Soviet national team had faced Canadians from the NHL.

Eight games - the first four in Canada, the final four in Moscow.

Canada won only once on home soil, and was booed off the ice in Vancouver after a 5-3 loss in Game 4. Phil Esposito couldn't believe it:

It got worse. Canada was up 3-0 after two periods in Game 5, and 4-1 at one point in the third. Yet the Soviets won 5-4, putting Canada in a seemingly insurmountable 1-3-1 hole. The Canucks had to win out.

Canada won Games 6 and 7 by a goal apiece. In Game 8, Canada trailed 5-3 after 40 minutes, but tied the game, and with under a minute to play, Paul Henderson did the damn thing.

"All I can say is that when (the coaching staff) called my name, I was there. And I wasn't comin' off," Esposito said about the third period, according to NHL.com's Dave Stubbs. "I've felt bad over the years. I've reflected about staying on the ice sometimes and going through Bobby (Clarke's) and Jean (Ratelle's) linemates.

"That was really selfish of me and I know that. But the truth was, I had this faith in myself, faith to get the job done. I can't explain it. But I did this in the NHL, too. I was not always going to get it done but I had faith in myself that 70 or 80 percent of the time I would."

No matter what happens Thursday night in Toronto, or Saturday should Team Europe force Game 3 of the World Cup final, it will pale in comparison to what Henderson - and Esposito - did during late September in the former Soviet Union 44 years ago.