SKA - Dinamo Minsk. Press-conference

HC Dinamo Minsk head coach Lubomir Pokovic:

- We didn't begin well and conceded a goal. We started to perform better after the first ten minutes however, and in the second period we had a lot of chances managing to score. Nevertheless, our penalties in the second and third frames decided the game. We fought until the end, but couldn't score.

- Dinamo had a few odd man rushes, but every time one of your players skated into the corners. Why did that happen?

- We didn't have many opportunities to break away on the counterattack. More chances came about when we got set up inside the opponent's zone. Every coach wants their players to skate to the net and shoot, and we believe that everything will get better.

HC SKA head coach Andrei Nazarov:

- I congratulate everyone with the first victory of the season. Both teams played hard, no one wanted to lose. We got a little bit lucky today, and we will take this luck with us and prepare for the next match.

- Sum up the fourth line's performance.

- They played well. Arseniy Khatsey didn't get lost, and I enjoyed Svyatoslav Grebenshchikov's game. They will probably play in the next game too.

- Why did you opt to debut three players today?

- It was Alexander Dergachyov's first match, and he didn't have a pre-season. We will keep him benched for a couple of games, and then gradually begin to give him ice time. All of these players are good, have a good age, and are showing decent hockey. Last season they didn't have chances to play, but this season is different. Let's let them show what they can do.

- While the match was continuing, word has been spreading that Andrei Loktionov is on the verge of signing.

- This isn't a question for me.

- What made you play Evgeny Artyukhin down the middle?

- Some of the players' hands are hurting. At the beginning of the match I asked Evgeny if he is good at faceoffs, and he said yes. He won one and lost two, after which I said that he can't play faceoffs. We even had a joke about that. In reality today he played in the centre only for faceoffs.