Continuity mistake: During the game against the Soviet Union, the US team ties up the score at 3-3. As Al Michaels comments on the tied score the crowd is panned and the scoreboard reads 4-3, which actually happens a few minutes later in the game. The digits are hard to read, but if you look closely enough, the mistake is detectable.
Other mistake: Just before the second period against the USSR, we see a couple of shots of the benched Soviet starting goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. His hair is dry and combed, and there is no sign of perspiration, despite having just played the whole first period. After the game is over, we see a shot of the Soviet players watching the Americans celebrate. This time Tretiak's hair is wet and his face is sweaty. Shouldn't it be the other way around (i.e., hair is wet after playing one period, then dry after sitting on the bench for two periods)?
Factual error: In the medal ceremony, the teams face one of the ends of the ice, not one of the sides.
Factual error: The movie makes it clear that Jack O'Callahan's first game since his injury was the game against the Soviet Union. In actuality, he had some playing time in the preliminary game against West Germany.
Factual error: At the start of the 2nd period, Al Michaels announces that the "Cone head" line is on the ice. In the actual game, it was the first line (Johnson/Silk/McClanahan) that started the 2nd period.
Factual error: In the movie, Ken Dryden says something like, "In Madison Square Garden this team played very tentative hockey, very much in awe of the Soviet team. Tonight, they're playing like they're not in awe of anybody." He actually said that during team USA's 7-3 rout of Czechoslovakia.
Factual error: In the movie, it shows Brooks only held tryouts for a single day in Colorado Springs. In reality, he created four teams by region, 64 players total, and they played scrimmages and a tournament. The first 26 players were then selected.
Factual error: Equipment: mostly inaccurate. Locker room scenes show many shoulder pads from late 1980's/early 1990's (floating shoulder caps). Pants are modern, off the shelf CCM's. Goalie chest protectors are from later in the 1980's (at least). They should be the earlier type, such as a Cooper SB 95 and chest protector combination. Pre-Olympic gloves are modern (laughable) shiny vinyl, and the Olympic tournament gloves are simply current CCM pro gloves - right off the shelf, with a re-sewn cuff to make them look older. Also note that the finger wart colors are opposite the 1980 gloves - they should be top white, bottom red. As noted before, the helmets are modern. Opposing team gloves inaccurate/many spray painted early 1990's Cooper solid back roll gloves. In a scene from the Sweden game, there is player with gloves who's cuff-roll says "Koho," but the glove have CCM stripes. And Sweden's 1980 Jofa helmets were royal blue (standard Jofa colors), not navy blue.
Factual error: A brief shot of the World Trade Center at night is shown right before the team plays the Russians in NY, which is just days before the 1980 Olympics. This shot includes buildings located in front of the Twin Towers which were not completed until well after 1980. This complex of four buildings are known as the 'World Financial Center' and are well known for their oddly shaped rooftops. In 1988 the 'World Financial Center', the Winter Garden and 'World Financial Center Plaza' officially opened.
Continuity mistake: During the series of sprints that the coach makes the players do after the game against Norway, the number of players on the ice changes. This is especially evident during the first one they do in the dark (only about 16 or 17 skaters are shown instead of the original 21).
Factual error: Boris Mikhailov plays as a center in the movie, while in reality he was actually a right wing. Vladimir Petrov was the center.
Factual error: In the movie, the players on the bench rushed onto the ice to celebrate the victory about 4-5 seconds after the final horn sounded. In the actual game, everyone had left the bench with 1-1.5 seconds still left to play in the game.
Other mistake: The slow-motion face-off to start the third period is a neat effect, except for one problem: watch Mikhailov's stick - he hardly moves it. No hockey player can win a face-off without trying.
Factual error: In the movie, Valeri Kharlamov is portrayed as a left winger with a right handed shot, in reality, Kharlamov was a right winger with a left handed shot. Additionally, his name is misspelled as "Charlamov" on the back of his uniform.
Factual error: The exhibition game at Madison Square Garden took place at 2:00pm, not at night as the outside shot of the arena depicts.
Factual error: In the movie, just before Mike Eruzione scored the game-winning goal, one of his teammates shouted "Rizzo," and passed the puck to him. That was not the case in the actual game. The puck inadvertently bounced over to where he was; no one intentionally passed it to him.
Deliberate mistake: Herb is driving and listening to a speech by President Carter on the car radio. The radio that is shown is a GM Delco radio, but Herb was driving a Dodge.
Factual error: In the actual games, the referees had their names on the backs of their jerseys (none of the refs in the movie did).
Factual error: Contrary to what the movie shows, goaltender Jim Craig actually did take the psychology test - the next day after he told the coach why he thought he wasn't necessary.
Factual error: Immediately after the victory against the Soviets, coach Herb Brooks did indeed leave the bench and go back through the tunnel. However, it wasn't to find a secluded place to rejoice. He simply had to go to the restroom.
Chosen answer: It appears that the medal round was just a continuation of the round robin tournament. When the US deafeated Finland, it cliched the best record in the tournament. The Soviet Union had the second best record, and Sweden the third best.
Timothy Cheseborough