Just a quick, seemingly unimportant note:
 
I saw the Moscow Spartak team play the Buffalo Sabres on a tour of the
NHL back in the mid 1980's.  It seems to me that they were in the
Soviet elite league (correct me if I'm wrong) that played against teams
like Moscow Dynamo and the (former) Red Army Team.  I can't recall whether
I managed to be there in person or viewed it on televsion, but they played
*traditional* European style hockey (ie. quick small forward, big agile
defensemen and NO dump and chase).  Either way my guess is a team like
this would give a college team fits unless their rink is like the Aud in
Buffalo; a few feet shorter and narrower, with very small tight corners.
If I recall correctly the Sabres played aggresive North American dump and
chase and hit everything in sight and were able to score a significant victory.
Hope this helps...
 
Eric Hoffman
Cornell '88, SUNY-Albany ??
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Let's Go Red!!!  See you at Lynah on Saturday for a Big Red whipping of
Canadian college hockey just like Napolean at Waterloo!!!!