Maxim Sokolov: "It will be a really tough fixture"

- Did the Euro Hockey Tour give you a chance to spend more time with the team?

- You need to understand that we were missing eleven players - almost half of our team. We didn't have enough time, but now the process of the players understanding what we demand from them is ongoing. We think that everything is going positively.

- At trainings we can see that the coaches are trying to make the players play more intricate hockey.

- The main thing is to feel yourself a member of the team. Each player should understand who is behind them: four outfield players, a goaltender, fifteen other players on the bench, non playing figures and injured players. All decisions should be taken for the good of the team and the result. The coaching staff are doing this.

- Despite being in the second lowest place of the Eastern Conference, Lada are looking like a tactically clever team.

- They have a very good coach in Artis Abols, who proved a lot with his work in Dinamo Riga. Lada are not in their true position of the table. They play a very tenacious game. Just look at their matches, Lada lose to everyone either on penalty shots, in overtime or by one goal. Lada try and take advantage of any opportunity to take points. They have lost their previous four matches in a row, and that means that a wounded beast will try to eat away at us all game. It will be a really tough fixture. Nothing has changed for us though: the team should play a united game and take advantage of scoring chances. We had great chances in Kazan, but we need to score.