SKA - Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Press-conference

HC Metallurg Novokuznetsk head coach Nikolai Solovyov:

- In such an instance, I can only congratulate SKA's head coach, players and fans with their victory. Their fans left a big impression on me with the amount of them and their support. About the game, we predicted that with SKA's squad and ours, the psychological factor would come into play. We were a bit robotic - I didn't recognise my own team. After the first period we wanted to give them a lift, but we could tell that they were finding it tough by looking into their eyes. We need to wait for our players to grow up as men. However, time is needed.

- What happened to Andrei Kareev?

- He has been taken for an x-ray. It was his ankle. Whether it is a tear or a sprain, I can't say yet.

HC SKA head coach Sergei Zubov:

- Yes, things went in our favour right from the off. It would have been hard to play poorly with such fans and support. We created a number of chances, could have scored more, but we have to say that their goaltender made miracles. Our special teams did their job. Mikko Koskinen saved us, there was a couple of moments when the opponents attacked dangerously. He deserved his shutout.

- How did the young fourth line do? They had a lot of ice time.

- They had a good match. They played with a lot of energy, and if they could have scored, it would have been even better.

- Did you ask the team to help Mikko Koskinen take a shutout?

- No, the game simply went in our favour. Mikko took his shutout himself.

- When 3:0 up, the defencemen stopped coming forward. Is this in preparation for the playoffs?

- I didn't notice that, they attacked both in the second and third periods. They could have score, but it didn't work out. We'll work over this.