Roman Rotenberg speaks after game four against Torpedo

HC SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg:

- This was the toughest game of the series. We understood that it was going to be difficult for us today. In the end, we had to use our Plan B. Torpedo are an excellent team, they like to play fast ice hockey. In terms of our pace, we have reached new levels thanks to this series. We had to make quick decisions. I would like to thank Torpedo for this series and their fans in Nizhny Novgorod, they created a wonderful atmosphere inside the arena. I am sure that such thrilling ice hockey will raise the KHL's rating.

- What was your Plan B?

- I won't reveal all of the details. The main thing is that the plan worked. We have to give credit to our guys, they scored the crucial goals to earn a victory which means a lot to us. Torpedo's goalkeeper had a great game, so we had to search for ways to score against him. This is a true team win.

- The third period from SKA was unbelievable. Was this a consequence of your conversation during the second break?

- The coaches' job is to help the players win. We don't have any secrets, it's all down to

hard work and discipline. We found the right words, and our line formations worked. Ice hockey is like chess, you need to make sure that your next move is the right one.

- Vladislav Podyapolsky hadn't played since January. Why did you decide to pull Dmitry Nikolaev after the two conceded goals in the third period?

- It's down to experience. Different situations occur. All of our players are prepared to take to the ice, our goalkeeping coaches are working hard. We trust both Vladislav and Dmitry, they're two strong goaltenders. The main thing in ice hockey is to make the required decisions at the right times. It was important for us to give Vladislav game time, we have a long journey ahead of us. As you saw, he was phenomenal today! We will now analyse the situation ahead of the next round.

- When Damir Zhafyarov was fouled against in the second stanza, you signalled to the referee that you thought a penalty shot should be indicated.

- From my position on the bench, it looked to me that Damir was already past the Torpedo defence. If that was the case, then we should have had a penalty shot. The referee had a better look.

- Are you happy with the attacking play of your defensemen? And does it worry you that you're conceding a lot of goals?

- We competed against a strong opponent. Our system involves playing with five skaters in attack and five in defence. You have to make a pass, engage in good movement and escape your markers. As I have already stated, thanks to Torpedo we have reached a new level.

- Did you find it tougher against Torpedo or Dinamo Minsk?

- They are two completely different opponents. All of our games so far have been challenging. Every victory is being achieved due to the efforts which we've been putting in since the start of our first training session last summer, but we still have aspects of our game which require improvement. We will now have time to recover and prepare for the semi-final series. Hopefully, our injured guys will return for the next phase of the competition.

- What elements allowed you to defeat Nizhny Novgorod?

- We managed to compete at the same tempo as Torpedo. Plus, our reserve players managed to play well when being given the opportunity. We have to give credit to our coaches who are working with the second group. We won thanks to our teamwork, commitment and character.

- On the other hand, SKA didn't score a single powerplay goal during this series.

- We will work on this. As Viktor Tikhonov and Vladislav Tretiak once said, it takes hours to train your powerplay. Thankfully, we do now have the opportunity to work on our powerplay. Everything can only be achieved through hard work.

- When playing Dinamo Minsk, the opponents tried to provoke you with their aggressive play, but Torpedo simply stuck to attempting to beat you with beautiful ice hockey. Was Torpedo's approach easier for you to deal with? And did it help that you know Torpedo coach Andrei Kozyrev well?

- When we were putting our management group together, Andrei was a part of it. However, now we're moving on. All KHL teams have strong coaching line-ups. Torpedo are no exception, Igor Larionov, Nikolai Khabibulin and Kozyrev all have a lot of experience. Torpedo's approach is great, we need teams like their one in the league. We must give credit to Torpedo, their coaches and players enjoyed a fantastic campaign. In terms of difficulty, the second round is always tougher than the first.

- Torpedo were leading 3:1 with 16 minutes remaining in the third frame. Did you continue operating in accordance with your normal plan?

- The plan changed during the game. This isn't the theatre, here the scenario changes all of the time and it's unpredictable. The most important thing is that the guys responded to the situation. It's a game, just like in chess you have to be smarter than the opponent. You must work harder than the opponents and play better than them. Everyone in our group is working to the limit.