Sergei Plotnikov and Pavel Dedunov speak after beating Avtomobilist

HC SKA forward Sergei Plotnikov:

- You received a nasty blow to the head in the first period.

- You saw what happened for yourselves, he wanted to push me out of the way but ended up hitting my face instead. These things happen, never mind.

- You’ve now made 900 KHL appearances. When you made your debut for Amur Khabarovsk all those years ago, did you think that you’d reach 900 league games?

- I didn’t think about that. I’ve ended up playing in a large amount of matches having always prepared for all games individually. However, I want to continue competing in games and achieving victories.

- You’re SKA’s leading players in terms of hits.

- If there’s a chance to land a hit, I never waste it. Nevertheless, I never skate around searching for hits, it’s important for us to play with the puck on our sticks. I land hits in order to take the opponent out of the game and prevent him from joining the attack. Instead, I want to leave him behind so that I can calmly skate back to my own zone and stop the opposing team from creating a scoring chance.

HC SKA forward Pavel Dedunov:

- You’ve now participated in 600 KHL matches. Did you ever dream of reaching such a landmark?

- When I initially started playing ice hockey, I was full of emotion and motivation to prove my worth. I wanted to gain a foothold in the KHL. Competition is high, you have to earn everything both in life and in sport. A bad solider is one who doesn’t want to become a general!

- What is your secret for staying at the highest level for so long?

- Having the right approach. You have to compete with the right ethic at training.

- Pavel, you are yet to earn any points this season. Is this weighing on your shoulders?

- Any player wants to score goals and dish out assists. Nonetheless, if you look at our team, then you’ll see that we have four great lines. The guys who are the best with the puck on their sticks are on the ice to create the opportunities. From my point of view, I’m trying to be useful when competing shorthanded. 

- SKA system forward Ignat Lutfullin was also born in the small Far Eastern town of Bolshoi Kamen.

- Yes, I’ve spoken with him about that. To be honest, I was surprised! It’s great to see that ice hockey is becoming more accessible for everyone across our country. A lot of new, modern rinks are being constructed across our country. When I was small, we didn’t have artificial ice in my hometown!