Press conference after SKA hosted Avangard

HC SKA head coach Igor Larionov:

"The result has left us with a bitter taste, because this was one of our best performances of the season to date in terms of its quality. We saw the level of performance which we're striving towards. There were mistakes, but the team showed character and its ability to recover from tough situations. We had enough chances to win, so it's a shame that the result is negative."

What SKA lacked in order to win...

"We gave the opponents a wave of confidence by quickly going 0:2 down. We spoke about this in the dressing room. Our players created lots of opportunities, but they lacked ruthlessness in front of goal. Of course, we have to give credit to Avangard's goalkeeper, but we really have to start capitalising on our opportunities. We aren't scoring enough dirty goals from the crease or converting rebounds.

"When we were already level at 2:2, Matvei Polyakov had a fantastic chance to put us ahead. However, instead of shooting into one of the corners, he aimed his attempt directly into the goalkeeper's chest. We have to become a ruthless team."

Why Avangard had three 1-on-1 chances while shorthanded...

"I had never seen this before either as a player or a coach. This was probably down to lacking concentration. I was really disappointed by what I saw there, it's unacceptable to gift the opponents such easy chances when you're trying to find a way back into the match. We shot ourselves in the foot there.

"For the third Avangard goal, Matvei Korotky could have comfortably cleared the puck. Nonetheless, we win and lose together as a team. We'll learn from our mistakes."

On what happened in the first period...

"In comparison to Avangard's four chances, we had eight clear opportunities. I'm not going to name names, but some of our players searched for the extra pass instead of shooting. The same thing happened against Minsk, but in that particular game we managed to complete the comeback by winning in overtime. We will work hard in order to correct these mistakes and start games better. When playing at home, you have to play with maximum focus for the opening five minutes."

If SKA study their opponents in detail in the regular season...

"We respect every opponent, but we're focused on ourselves. We have a strong, talented team. It goes without saying that we study the opponent's special teams, but we're not afraid of anyone. Regardless of where we're playing, we won't play out from the back or use a bus-like tactic in the neutral zone."

HC Avangard Omsk head coach Guy Boucher:

"As I expected, it turned out to be a tough game. SKA are in good form, they had won their previous four consecutive matches by an overall score of 17:5. We did well in the first period, but we struggled in the second when SKA stepped it up. The third was hard-fought. In stark comparison to what we saw at the start of the month, we aren't panicking in challenging situations and have strengthened mentally. We stuck to our game plan and withstood SKA's pressure."

How Avangard dealt with SKA's powerplay...

"This is down to Dave Barry, my assistant who immediately helped our team become the most effective shorthanded when joining us last season. We have players who were with us in the preceding campaign who understand how we set up on the PK. Our new guys are still getting used to the system."

The decision to start with Nikita Serebryakov in net...

"Nikita is our number one goalkeeper. Therefore, we want him to play as often as possible. He's a great guy who is in excellent relations with our goalkeeping coach. We really like how Nikita performs in high-pressure situations, and he really enjoys the big games too. He's an important part of our team."