Roman Rotenberg speaks after beating CSKA in Moscow

HC SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg:

“First of all, I would like to thank all of the fans for creating such a wonderful atmosphere. Two of the league’s most historically strong teams met today. Like I had said before the game, SKA have won the Gagarin Cup twice, while CSKA have hoisted the trophy aloft on three occasions. We also must note that CSKA have some of the guys who play leading roles for the Russian national team.

“Both teams and goalkeepers played solidly and with commitment. Unfortunately, though, we did spend a long time competing shorthanded. Given that we were controlling the puck for long periods, we have to look at why we were given so many penalties. The same standards should be applied to all teams. I would like to congratulate our players with the victory, they followed the game plan fully and put their bodies on the line for the benefit of the team. In terms of our overall performance level, we have taken a large step forward.

“CSKA registered more hits than us? The difference was only 34-27 in their favour. Which statistics do we pay most attention to? Our plus/minus records, chances created and the amount of shots which we’ve blocked. Sometimes you can have too many statistics!”