A writer for the Toronto Globe and Mail in 2012, the fiftieth anniversary of the Summit Series.

A Russian-language hockey text from the 1960s, commenting on the Canadian game, described it as "primitive and individualistic." It was a common refrain in Soviet literature of the time. Their hockey was artistic and scientific, played in harmony. Ours was mayhem.

It wasn't just the Russian opinion. Dave King coached in both the Soviet Union and the NHL. When young and trying to learn coaching, he looked around for educational material. "It really struck me," he said. "We didn't have any."

Unlike the Soviets, our game had no preconceived system, former Maple Leaf Brian Conacher once recalled. It was "totally undisciplined."
...
Among all the glorious reminiscences of our landmark win over the Soviets in 1972, what shouldn't be forgotten is just how backward we were – inexcusably so – in our approach to the game compared to the Soviets.
...
...they applied brainpower and science to the sport. They took the game into the lab and dissected it. They developed intricate tic-tac-toe passing patterns. They emphasized finesse as opposed to a smash-and-grab power game. Their accent on teamwork was far superior. In Soviet hockey, the puck carrier was instructed to be the servant of the other players.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/in-the-summit-series-we-won-in-spite-of-ourselves/article4549860/