Dinamo Riga - SKA. Press-conference

HC SKA head coach Vyacheslav Bykov:

- We prepared very thoroughly for this game, knowing how pumped up Dinamo are for their home fixtures. We tried to break their rhythm, and at moments we did just that. After the first period we had to give the team a bit of life, as we began too laid back. Afterwards the match was more interesting. It's a shame however, that we didn't keep a hold of the 2:1 scoreline, but we have to give Dinamo their due - they pressed us deep inside our own zone. In the shootout our quality told. Some say that shootouts are a lottery, I say that they are a test of players' technical abilities.

- Would you agree that Artemiy Panarin is an irreplaceable player for SKA?

- Should we sell our other players then? We're not chess players, where one person can decide everything. Maybe Artemiy is one of our key players, and he has quality. Nevertheless, he makes mistakes while trying.

- Did Igor Shestyorkin play because you want to give him some encouragement?

- He has a silver medal from the World Junior Championship, if that is some sort of encouragement for him. We have some problems with our goaltending position at the moment, so Igor had to play. He went out and performed well. You have to wait for your moment, keep believing, and we have to give the players a chance. But it isn't some kind of prize - you have to deserve your chance.

- The referees gave the game a chance to flow. Did this help any of the teams out?

- It was a clean match.

HC Dinamo Riga head coach Artis Abols:

- Today it was a battle for three points, and we picked up one with a good game. I can be proud of what we showed today, and in this home series as a whole. The guys have done a good job, and after a day off tomorrow we will prepare for the upcoming away series. The fight for the play-offs continues. I also agree with Vyacheslav, that penalty shots aren't a lottery - it's the psychological state of the goalkeeper and his technical ability against the forwards.

- Did it help anyone out that the referees let the game continue without penalties?

- It's better for us to play against SKA five on five than on the powerplay.