Igor Larionov speaks after beating CSKA on the road

HC SKA head coach Igor Larionov:

"I would like to thank the fans for their support today. We expected the arena to be full, and that was indeed the case. I would like to congratulate our team with our victory and the excellent performance."

Lack of discipline in the third period...

"I don't want to speak a lot about the penalties - you can understand why. Emotions are always involved in matches, and this is passed on to the officials through the atmosphere. They make the decisions; that's all I can say. In terms of our team, we played for each other, remained fresh and made the right decisions."

SKA not using their three powerplays...

"We played against a strong team and a strong goalkeeper. We have to give credit to the opponents, they defended their crease well and their goalkeeper is in good form. In such tense games, we need to take advantage of such opportunities."

Issue of having not played for eight days...

"We were afraid of this break in play after playing brilliantly against Magnitogorsk; it came at a bad time for us considering that momentum which we had gained. However, we worked productively both on and off the ice. Our guys were fresh today. And, most importantly, they won the game while playing at a high tempo throughout. When facing such an aggressive and proactive team like CSKA, it's vital to play with short shifts. This made the difference."

When Sergei Plotnikov will return...

"We're being cautious following the situation which we had with Valentin Zykov, who returned from injury took quickly and consequently missed another three weeks. Sergei is with us for this road trip, which will see us play seven matches in just 15 days! In terms of Wednesday, we'll make a decision either tomorrow or on game day."

SKA back in the playoff qualification zone...

"The season's a marathon. We're happy with today's victory, but this was just one match. Wins help you recover quicker and gain confidence. Overall, I'm happy that we're becoming a confident team and building up chemistry."

If Sergei Ivanov is SKA's number one...

"I discussed this issue with goalkeeping coach Yuri Klyuchnikov before I came to the press conference. Before we make a decision like that, we need to cool down and analyse everything without emotion. The time has come to make a decision as to who are our first and second choice goalkeepers."