Roman Rotenberg speaks after playing Spartak in Moscow

HC SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg:

- Overall, it was a positive performance. The guys fought for each other and showed their character. We took too many penalties at the start of the game, practically all of the first period was spent competing shorthanded. We committed mistakes for Spartak's final two goals. When we get rid of our mistakes, follow the game plan and improve the details, we will start winning games. Thankfully, a lot of our injured guys will now return. We will continue working calmly.

- SKA took seven penalties and twice played 3-on-5. Why?

- It's because the guys have a huge desire to win. Our emotions need to be controlled. We can already see progress, but we must stop paying attention to matters which don't involve ice hockey itself. We battled hard on the PK today, blocking plenty of pucks and displaying determination.

- Zakhar Bardakov appeared to play with too much emotion.

- The ability to compete with cool heads is a vital aspect of sport. We will have a conversation with Zakhar. He's always full of emotion, but he knows how to compete in the correct manner.

- What can we say about the third Spartak goal in the last second of regulation time?

- A series of mistakes occurred. Firstly, there was no need to ice the puck in that particular situation. Secondly, we had no right to lose that faceoff draw. One of our own players blocked Nikita Serebryakov's view, our goalkeeper couldn't do anything. This season, we're conceding a lot of goals as a consequence of blocking our own goaltender. Our players who joined from other clubs are struggling to get rid of their bad habits. If you lose the faceoff, you must approach the opposing player with your stick.

- You haven't said a word about the refereeing, but what can you say about Serebryakov's penalty?

- I'm not going to comment on the officiating, everyone could see for themselves what happened. In the past, warnings were often issued before penalties. The referees have the right to make the relevant decisions. From our point of view, we have to score more goals and not give the referees an excuse to give us penalties. We're not going to speak about the referees anymore.

- How did the guys react to this defeat in the dressing room?

- The players are professional, they understand that we will achieve positive results if we continue playing like this. Everyone is 100% confident in one another. I like our group, we have character and true team spirit. We have character and determination, but the details require improvement.

- Is Serebryakov carrying an injury?

- No. If he would have been injured, he wouldn't be playing. He is 100% ready to play.