SKA - Dinamo Minsk. Press-conference

HC SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg:

"We were lacking the energy which we had shown in Yaroslavl. We took far too many penalties today, it's a repeat of the problem which we had against Lokomotiv at the start of the week. Furthermore, after such a big match in Yaroslavl on Monday, we simply didn't have enough emotion for this game. As far as the positives go, then I liked how we played in the third period.

"Our constant penalties meant that we never gained any rhythm. Physically we're in good shape, but we need to be fresher psychologically for Saturday against Yekaterinburg. Our goalkeeping situation? We have Artemiy Pleshkov, Yegor Zavragin, Pavel Moisevich and Nikita Serebryakov who are all training with goaltending coach Maxim Sokolov. We'll analyse Avtomobilist's goalkeepers too ahead of Saturday."

HC Dinamo Minsk head coach Dmitry Kvartalnov:

"We found it difficult to score today, but I think that we deserved to win. Our performance was excellent over the course of the game. 

"Our early penalty in the third frame could have turned the match around, but thankfully we quickly managed to score our fourth marker. This game will give us confidence moving forward. Our powerplay? We had enough chances to score a lot more goals, but Saint Petersburg defended well and their goalkeeper was solid. We know that special teams often decide the outcomes of games."

HC SKA forward Pavel Dedunov:

"We took too many penalties which resulted in our leading players sitting on the bench. 

"How do I continue finding motivation to play at this level after so many years in the KHL? I get the energy from my nine-year-old son, who is playing ice hockey in the SKA Academy. When I look back at my career, my first goal at senior level while playing for Cherepovets at a friendly tournament in Donetsk always stands out."

HC SKA forward Sergei Plotnikov:

"We tried our best to salvage something from the match in the closing stages, but we couldn't take advantage of the opportunities which we managed to create. Our penalties and lack of ruthlessness in front of goal resulted in this loss.

"900 matches in the KHL? To be honest, I need time in which to process this. Even though I've played in so many games, I still feel as though I've only just come through the ranks! I want to be useful on the ice and help my team achieve success.

"In the summer, during negotiations for SKA, I told the head coach that I would fight hard for my spot on the team. I want to deserve my place in the line-up."