Though trailing 2-1 in the first period, the United States already was doing the unthinkable, skating with the Red Army before Mark Johnson's goal with a second left in the period tied the game. The second period began with Soviet goalie Vladimir Myshkin replacing Vladislav Tretiak, a shocking turn of events to everyone except the college kids wearing red, white and blue.
"Nothing was said about that," Morrow said. "It was a nonfactor. We didn't approach it any differently.
"We scored two goals on [Tretiak] in the first period, so it wasn't like as if you can say he was going to shut us out the rest of the way. It may have been a turning point, but they pretty much controlled the second period after they did make the goalie change. We came out of it down a goal, 3-2, but [U.S. goalie Jim] Craig played out of his mind. We don't win that game if Jimmy doesn't have the game of his life."
Morrow, Craig and the Americans took over in the third period, taking the Soviets' breakneck style and throwing it back at them. Johnson's second goal tied the game 3-3 at 8:39 of the third, less than two minutes before Mike Eruzione's famous shot beat Myshkin with exactly 10 minutes left.
There was euphoria and then realization. After celebrating Eruizone's goal, Morrow looked up and saw there were 10 minutes left, and it was about to be the longest 10 minutes of his life.
"It was immediate for me," Morrow said. "As a defenseman, I knew. You're trying to hold a one-goal lead against this team. It's near impossible."
The U.S. held on and pulled off the upset. A wild celebration ensued on the ice and later on the streets of Lake Placid. Morrow stayed behind in the locker room to ice a shoulder that ailed him during the tournament. He later snuck out the back door and into a van, which avoided Main Street on its way back to the living quarters. Morrow turned on his AM radio -- there wasn't a television in the trailer -- and listened to people calling into talk shows to discuss the game.
That's all they were talking about. Thirty-seven years later, the conversation remains a popular topic worth its weight in gold.
"That's kind of when it struck me," said Morrow, the Islanders director of scouting. "It struck people besides the people in Lake Placid."