Reaction after SKA defeated Barys at home

HC SKA head coach Igor Larionov:

“There are a lot of positives to come out of this game. Of course it’s always nice to win, but today that wasn’t our main goal. The quality of our performance means more to us. Nevertheless, we’re happy that we made the fans happy and they got to enjoy normal time, overtime and a penalty shootout!”

Three defensive pairings…

“Our training camp is ongoing, so we’re continuing to see how the guys compete in different lines. Those who didn’t play today will compete tomorrow.”

Issue of playing over the course of two consecutive days…

“We can’t compare pre-season games to KHL matches. As a player, I never played in five games across a seven-day period. However, we won’t moan about the schedule. We have the opportunity to see how different guys play.”

HC SKA defenseman Alexei Maklyukov:

“We were ready for this match, but maybe the fact that we hadn’t competed in a game for 11 days took its toll. Not everything went to plan, but overall it was a good pre-season game.”

Making too many passes instead of shooting…

“This is a problem which we have. Instead of simply dumping the puck in the attacking zone, we want to put nice passes together. But, at the same time, we’re not shooting when we need to. There’s a fine balance between clever passing plays and making too many passes.”

Adapting to SKA…

“I’m really enjoying my time here! I was accepted into the group without any issues whatsoever. It took me a while to get used to the demands, but I think that I’ve understood them now. A couple of more games before the campaign will help me even further. Igor Larionov’s style? I like his approach to the game."