How it unfolded
All three games of the best-of-three final ended 6–5. The Soviets won Game 1 in overtime; Canada took Game 2 in double overtime on Mario Lemieux's goal at 30:07. In Game 3 Canada trailed 0–3 after one period, clawed back goal by goal, and tied 5–5 in the third. At 18:34 — 1:26 to play — Wayne Gretzky led a three-on-one rush, fed Lemieux cutting through the high slot, and Lemieux beat Sergei Mylnikov top corner. The pair had spent the summer on the same line and knew each other's timing. Lemieux scored eleven goals in nine games; Gretzky had 21 points and tournament MVP honours. The Soviets lacked Tretiak but still sent the KLM Line of Makarov, Larionov, and Krutov for three games that matched Canada stride for stride.
Why it still matters
Many experts rank this trilogy the highest-level hockey ever played. Both nations fielded peak generations and the games were decided by speed and skill more than penalties and scrums. Gretzky to Lemieux for the winner symbolized a pairing of eras and was among the last pure national showdowns before Soviet players flooded the NHL.