SKA - Amur. Press-conference

HC SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg:

- We fielded a young, determined line-up. It was a good test for our young guys. Given that we had the opportunity to officially qualify for the Gagarin Cup playoffs today, we were sure that our guys were going to do everything in order to win. We’ve qualified for the playoffs, but we are only just getting started. We will now prepare for our next game.

- This was Amur’s third away game in a row. Did you bear this in mind when preparing for the match?

- No. Instead, we were thinking about how we could freshen our line-up. As we always do, we analysed the opponents beforehand, and we knew that they’re an organised team which plays solidly in defence. Amur’s system is similar to the one which Ufa and Magnitogorsk use. For us to break down the barrier at neutral ice, we had to compete in the correct manner tactically. We wanted to immediately compete at a high tempo. It was important that we quickly equalised after falling behind. Plenty of our players need time on the ice in games, we’ve battled against illness for quite a while now. All of the SKA system teams use the same tactics, so it’s not a problem to call up guys from the VHL or the MHL. Ivan Demidov played today, and due to the circumstances, he even competed as a centre forward. Thanks to him possessing excellent ice hockey IQ, it wasn’t an issue for him. Ivan has huge potential!

- You tried out a lot of different line formations today, and they all worked effectively.

- Our system is allowing us to progress. We can take any player from our VHL and MHL teams, and they won’t look out of place. All of our teams play in accordance with the same system. When we display our way of playing the game, we achieve positive results.

- Your PK worked brilliantly with Maxim Groshev back in the team. How can he earn a regular spot in the line-up?

- All of our players understand what areas of their game require improvement. Maxim has proven that he’s improved, he was strong in all zones and in physical duels. It’s vital to be able to kill penalties effectively, but Maxim can improve further and take the next step. Before we sent Maxim to the VHL with SKA-Neva, we had a good discussion in which we made it clear what needs to be done. He’s working in accordance with our plan. Maxim was great today, but it was a team win.

- Marat Khusnutdinov left the game. Will he be able to play against CSKA in Moscow on Tuesday?

- Taking into account the importance of our upcoming games, we took the decision to give him a rest after that particular incident. We’re confident that he will play in Moscow.

- This was the maiden occasion when Sergei Ivanov started a KHL game in your net.

- You can’t judge winners! Sergei has already participated in KHL matches, so therefore he understands the demands of this league. I would like to congratulate him with the win and his performance.

- When did your young players find out that they were going to be in the line-up for this match?

- Yesterday. Demidov is a perfect example of a young player who’s ready to compete in the KHL, he’s a brilliant skater with superb ice hockey IQ. We need players like Ivan. We’re happy that players are developing here in Russia, this shows that we’re moving in the right direction. It says a lot that Ivan was moved up to the first line today!

HC Amur Khabarovsk head coach Vadim Yepanchintsev:

- We were lacking speed and movement. As a consequence of this, we took a lot of penalties. We knew that SKA would freshen 40% of their line-up, but they still forced us into committing mistakes and fouls. The second period was poor, but we hit the crossbar a few times in the third. I think that we deserved another goal. Our guys did everything they could, but it wasn’t enough.

- When looking at the schedule, you probably draw up a plan of how many points you think you can realistically pick up.

- No. In our situation, every point is worth its weight in gold. Moreover, we understood the importance of our recent game against Neftekhimik in Nizhnekamsk which we lost. Effort and desire on their own aren’t enough, but we are fighting to win every game.

- Jan Drozg didn’t participate in this match. Did his absence play a decisive factor?

- Four of our players were out.

- Why were you lacking freshness? Was this because this was the concluding game of this road trip?

- That is one of the reasons. Our schedule is challenging, we’ll now play one match in Khabarovsk before our next series of away games subsequently begins. Just you try flying so much! Nonetheless, we can’t make excuses. The health of some of our players didn’t allow them to take to the ice today.

HC SKA forward Ivan Demidov:

- It was a good, tough game. Amur committed a lot of fouls, and we did manage to use one of our powerplay opportunities. Thank you to the fans for their great support!

- You were eventually moved up to the first line for the third period. What emotions have you been left with?

- It was fantastic! Thank you to the coaches for showing such faith in me. Personally, I would give my performance a 3/5 rating. I didn’t gain any points, but there weren’t any mistakes either.

HC SKA forward Danil Savunov:

- First of all, I would like to thank the fans for the loud support which they provided us with! Both sides had their chances, Amur have a young, quick team. It’s great that our coaches are also putting faith in the young players. The main thing is that we won!