Igor Larionov speaks after beating Dinamo Minsk away

HC SKA head coach Igor Larionov:

"First of all, I would like to wish Dinamo Minsk fans a Happy New Year and our supporters with this victory. Furthermore, I would also like to congratulate Minsk head coach Dmitry Kvartalnov with his upcoming 1000th game! As for the match itself, we played well."

If SKA focused on withstanding Minsk's strong start...

"We knew that Minsk are strong at home. If I'm not mistaken, they've only lost three out of their 20 home matches so far this season. I was happy with how we controlled possession and calmed the game down. Thankfully, we didn't give Minsk the opportunity to build momentum and score early goals; otherwise, their fans would have made it difficult for us. We were cool and calm, and Sergei Ivanov was superb in our net too. We produced a solid performance."

Key moment when Minsk were playing 5-on-3...

"Any coach knows that if you waste a 5-on-3 opportunity, your chances of winning diminish significantly. We have to give credit to our guys who competed shorthanded, they didn't allow Dinamo's players to gain confidence. That PK gave us a breath of fresh air."

On whether it was the perfect SKA performance...

"Before this match, we asked our players whether they were satisfied with their position in the table. SKA's DNA is ice hockey which makes the fans excited. We want to see our players display stable, correct and emotional ice hockey in every game. When facing such a strong team like Dinamo, you see all of your strengths and weaknesses."

Incident involving Yegor Zavragin..

"Initially, I told him to take off his mask. However, moments later, he then got struck by the puck and then a Minsk player! I don't think he'll be taking off his mask again."