Press conference after SKA kept CSKA at bay in Saint Petersburg

HC SKA interim head coach Yuri Babenko:

“It was a tough match against a strong opponent. We played really well, fully following the game plan. Furthermore, this has marked SKA’s 200th victory as a part of the domestic championship! Congratulations to everyone with this achievement.”

Injuries picked up…

“Brendan Leipsic’s diagnosis will soon become clear. It’s also too soon to speak about the length of time which Pavel Koledov will spend on the sidelines.”

Effective play shorthanded…

“The main thing is that we didn’t concede while playing shorthanded. And, of course, it was great that we managed to convert the chances which we managed to create. We always tell our players to attack when the opportunity arises, even when we’re on the penalty kill.”

Problems on the PP…

“The numbers speak for themselves. Naturally enough, we want to improve our powerplay. Special teams play a crucial role in the playoffs, so we’re paying special attention to this component.”

Defensive improvement since Boris Mironov joined the coaching staff…

“It wouldn’t be right to single someone out. Throughout the entire season, we’ve been working on defending solidly and attacking effectively. When we play with balance and the players follow our instructions, everything becomes easier. Our goalkeepers are also playing a major role.”

HC CSKA Moscow head coach Igor Nikitin:

“We conceded when we should have scored instead. We now have to draw the right conclusions from this experience and move on.”

Conceding on the PP…

“Discipline is decisive. Unfortunately, we didn’t compete with discipline while on the powerplay. That’s not acceptable. If you try and take a breather while on the PP, the opponents are going to punish you.”

Injury sustained by SKA defenseman Koledov…

“I wish Pavel a speed recovery! However, I don’t think that it was a dirty play. These things happen in ice hockey.”