Press conference after SKA hosted Spartak in Saint Petersburg

HC SKA head coach Igor Larionov:

"Unfortunately, we couldn't see the game out and earn at least one point. Nevertheless, I would like to thank our guys for the commitment which they displayed throughout the 60 minutes. We now have four days in which to rest and prepare for our upcoming away series against Minsk, Sochi and Shanghai."

Winning the first period...

"It's pleasing that our line consisting of Brendan Leipsic, Joe Blandisi and Rocco Grimaldi scored. They've struggled recently since Trevor Murphy received his injury, but I spoke with them a lot over the last couple of days and I liked the goal which they tallied.

"Of course, we would have wanted to score our second and go 2:0 up, but we presented Spartak with far too many opportunities in the maiden stanza. Yes, we can say that this was our third challenging game in five days, and our lack of freshness resulted in us making poor decisions. Psychological errors didn't allow us to compete in a calmer manner. Furthermore, the five-minute penalty resulted in our players losing their energy playing shorthanded or sitting on the bench too long."

Andrei Pedan's mistake for Spartak's winning goal...

"We win and lose as a team. Unfortunately, such moments are part of the game. However, I don't want to talk about individual errors with the press. We often ignore the good things and focus on the bad. I thanked our guys for their efforts. As you saw for yourselves, the match appeared to be heading to overtime.

"Sergei Plotnikov subsequently wasted a chance to equalise while playing 6-on-5. Today, unlike in our preceding games, luck turned against us. Good fortune is hard to gain and easy to lose."

Why Ignat Lutfullin and Valentin Zykov swapped places...

"Ignat had only played six minutes across the opening two periods, and we wanted to add more energy to our performance. When the third period reached its halfway mark, we reverted back to our original line formations in an attempt to win the game. Mikhail Vorobyov and Marat Khairullin had worked really hard shorthanded, so we put Lutfullin in their line in order to add energy."

Trevor Murphy's absence...

"We're in contact almost on a daily basis. He took the decision to undergo an operation in Detroit, which is scheduled for the first week of January. It's convienent for him, as he lives in Windsor which is only 30 minutes' drive away from Detroit. Due to having received an ACL injury, Trevor is out for the remainder of the season. The recovery process is challenging, but he's in safe hands with specialists who have over 30 years of experience. We're looking forward to seeing Trevor again in August."

Unsuccessful coach's challenge...

"When I saw the play back on the television screen on our bench, I thought that a high stick was involved. Our video coaches thought the same and gave us the signal to use our coach's challenge. I hoped that the referees - the officials on the ice, not in an office - would make a decision in our favour, but it didn't happen that way. I have full faith in our video coaches."

When injured and ill players will return...

"Andrei Loktionov and Igor Larionov should be back for our away series. Nikita Zaitsev will return on 7 January, while Matvei Korotky has just started skating today. He felt a bit of discomfort, but that was to be expected. Vladislav Romanov is expected to return ahead of schedule in February. Brennan Menell has been out with illness, and we aren't going to take any risks. Pierrick Dubé is a healthy scratch."

Semyon Demidov's presence at training...

"He's a great guy with plenty of fantastic qualities. I remember working with him with the junior Russian national team. He's finding it tough going right now, and we're giving him time to get back in shape. I'm happy that he's beginning to love the game again. I have faith that he will return this season and play for our team."

Matvei Polyakov's progress...

"We're satisfied with Matvei's development. He's a positive, hard-working guy who's playing well at the moment. I don't think that he has a problem with competing in our fourth line."

Valentin Zykov's penalty...

"When I looked at the replay a few times, I saw that there was indeed a foul. But, instead of giving five minutes, I think that a two-minute penalty would have been sufficient. This is what I said to the referees."

HC Spartak Moscow head coach Alexei Zhamnov:

"Overall, it was a good performance. Some aspects of our game require improvement, but the guys performed well today."

If Spartak are happy to play three successive matches in Saint Petersburg...

"In terms of logistics, then of course it's nice for us to stay in one city for three games on the bounce. If we look at the teams we're playing against, though, it's a tough stretch of matches. Taking into account the situation which we find ourselves in, the playoffs have already started for us. Moreover, some players are injured, whereas others are ill."

Importance of playing SKA...

"Matches against SKA are always full of emotion and passion. It's already a KHL tradition! Both sets of fans, regardless of whether we're playing in Moscow or Saint Petersburg, create a brilliant atmosphere."

If Alexander Georgiyev has adapted to the KHL...

"When I worked with the national team at World Championships, the NHL guys always said that it was difficult for them to adapt to European ice hockey because of the different style of play and the bigger rinks. In North America, everything revolves around shooting. It's natural that Alexander needs time, but it is also clear that he's strenghtened our team."

Ivan Vorobyov's winner...

"When we signed Ivan, we wanted him to be a useful player for us instead of simply sitting on the sidelines. He hasn't yet fully understood our system, but he will improve once he gains confidence."