Igor Larionov speaks after playing Torpedo on the road

HC SKA head coach Igor Larionov:

“It’s always nice to return to Nizhny Novgorod, but it certainly isn’t nice to lose by such a large margin. It’s probably the biggest disappointment in my coaching career. One team had an advantage today, played well and emerged victorious. I would like to congratulate Torpedo with their win, while apologising for the ice hockey which we showed and our indifferent attitude. We now have to begin preparing for our next game.”

Possible moves on the transfer market…

“We have 24 hours left. Yes, it’s no secret that we would like to sign one or two forwards. Our preference leans towards centre forwards, as we have injury problems with regard to this position right now. We are holding negotiations with the relevant people at this moment in time.”

When it became clear that SKA weren’t going to win today…

“I was really disappointed with how we allowed a Torpedo forward to skate clean through in the very first shift. Immediately, it became clear that we weren’t playing with the required focus or concentration. And this was despite the fact that we had discussed within our group about the importance of starting well. We had chances of our own later on, but that particular incident allowed the hosts to play with confidence. Our character wasn’t there and we displayed ice hockey which is far away from the level which we want to see.”