SKA - Neftekhimik. Press-conference

HC SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg:

- We played against a strong opponent, Neftekhimik have a young, determined side which plays with great desire and speed. They created a lot of challenges for us. We had a serious conversation after the first period, and the guys responded in the right manner. We started to play at high tempo, scoring good goals in the process. The next game is really important for us, so we will now have a short rest before flying to Moscow. I would like to thank the fans for the fantastic support!

- Were you surprised that Neftekhimik competed at such a high tempo?

- No. We had analysed Neftkehimik, we knew that they have a quick team which likes to play with a lot of pace. All of their players are fast, and Pavel Poryadin is an excellent player. Their goalkeeper was also great for them, he was fresh. They know our leading players well, especially Marat Khairullin and how he likes to shoot. Yes, it was difficult, but we earned the victory. We had to win the battle against ourselves and overcome that barrier.

- Khairullin was your captain instead of Dmitrij Jaskin who was on the sidelines.

- He deserved to be our captain today. Ever since he trained with us for the first team, he has been one of our leaders. Our best players are on the ice. Marat was previously the captain of Neftekhimik, it was really important for him to be our leader in this match. Hopefully, Jaskin will soon return.

- Why did you put Evgeny Ketov in the line-up? Don't you think that he struggled with the high tempo?

- We are taking the team's interests into account. We have a lot of matches, and several players are injured. Ketov did well today, he helped the team win.

- Emil Galimov competed against his brother Ansel. How did you motivate him?

- He motivated us! Emil found the required words and the team earned the victory.

- Matvei Michkov has only made one KHL appearance for SKA so far this season. Why have you sent him to the VHL with SKA-Neva?

- He's started the campaign with SKA-Neva this year. Matvei scored the winning goal for the team today against Rubin in Tyumen, it was a great shot from the right flank. We can see that he is progressing. Everyone is receiving their chance, but you have to deserve your spot in the team. Healthy competition is the key to development. The fact that our young SKA-Neva team defeated Rubin, one of the VHL's leading sides, means a lot. Our players previously managed to beat Yugra in Khanty-Mansiysk too. Guys like Matvei Kabush, Dmitry Buchelnikov and Yegor Gurzanov are all progressing, we're on the right track. We use the same system for our KHL, VHL and MHL teams, therefore it's easy for any player to slot into our senior side.

- Was it difficult to motivate your team to play Neftekhimik after such a hard-fought win against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on Monday?

- No, we had held a team meeting in which we analysed our mistakes. Every match is vital for us, we analyse each of our opponents in detail. Our analytical experts analyse all of our games all night after we've played, it takes a lot of hard work. There weren't any difficulties in preparing for Neftekhimik.

- You played 3-on-5 for the full two minutes in the third frame.

- You have to be ready to play shorthanded. We did well on the PK today, even if we did concede once. There was an individual mistake for that goal. We have to work hard on our powerplay, we must start taking advantage of the chances which we're creating.

- SKA have only conceded one regulation defeat in 23 games. How have you managed to start the campaign so successfully?

- Our philosophy is simple: the next match is always the most important one. You have to prepare for each separate opponent individually. Ice hockey is a celebration, you must give everything in order to win. We have to appreciate where we are and what organisation we are representing. When our stadium is full like it always is, we are obliged to play wonderful ice hockey and react to our mistakes in the right way. The main thing is always how you react to your errors.

- When will your injured players return?

- As you know, we don't like to talk about things like that in detail. We are counting on all of our players. I hope that we will soon see everyone on the ice, are doctors are working hard. They're always searching for ways how they can help our players recover quicker.

HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk head coach Oleg Leontyev:

- It was an even game, both teams had the same amount of chances and shots on target. Unfortunately, we couldn't use our numerous odd-man rushes. Furthermore, we wasted our 5-on-3 powerplay in the third period. Nevertheless, I liked our performance, we stuck with SKA.

- Neftekhimik always like to play in an attacking style.

- People attend matches to watch entertaining ice hockey with lots of goals. We need to have excitement and passion on the ice. We don't want to play defensive ice hockey, instead we enjoy playing in an aggressive, attacking manner.

- This was only Yaroslav Ozolin's second KHL game this season. Why did you put him in net to play SKA?

- We had to make this decision. Emil Garipov has recently been operated on, it will be a good thing for us if he returns before the start of the new calendar year. Andrei Tikhomirov and Alexander Sudnitsin are carrying small injuries. It's time for Yaroslav to start playing at this level, he's already 23. What difference does it make if you play against SKA or Vladivostok? All teams are tough to play against in this league.

- Khairullin used to play for your club. Did you speak to your players about the fact that he would have a lot of motivation?

- We know Marat's secrets and strengths, but he barely has any weaknesses. I am proud that he has reached such a high level and was signed by a big club like SKA, he's doing really well for his new team. However, we were focused on SKA as a team when preparing for this match, not individual players.

- Ansel Galimov seemed to have a lot of motivation for playing against his brother Emil.

- Ansel is always full of desire, he loves playing the game. We have to remember that this was far from the first time when they competed against each other on the ice.

- How is Maxim Goncharov playing for you? Recently, he has become better known as a blogger rather than an ice hockey player.

- If the younger generation like that kind of thing, then it's fine. The KHL wants us to bring more young people into ice hockey, and they like blogs. It was obvious that he wasn't going to be in the best physical condition, as he hadn't been with us for the pre-season training camps. He has subsequently improved, though, and I like the way he is playing at the moment.

HC SKA defenseman Mikhail Pashnin:

- It was a good, fast game, the opponents played in a determined manner. We felt the tension right until the end.

- What happened for the last penalty in the concluding minute? The referees initially wanted to send you to the penalty box, but instead Khairullin received a minor for chucking the puck out of play from his own zone.

- There was a really high tempo today, so penalties were unavoidable. I think that a Neftekhimik touched the puck before it exited the ice.

- How do you feel after your injury?

- I feel great, there aren't any problems.

- SKA were coming off the back of a challenging match against Yaroslavl. Was it difficult to find motivation for Nizhnekamsk? Neftekhimik are well behind SKA in the table.

- To be honest, I'm not even paying attention to the standings. I don't know how many points other teams have.

- How easy has it been to fit into SKA's system?

- I'm really enjoying being a member of this group, we all get along really well. If required, we can help each other. We need to appreciate the fantastic group which we have.

HC SKA forward Marat Khairullin:

- Neftekhimik have a good, young team which competes with a lot of determination. They had rested for a couple of days before this match, so they were fresher than us and pressed a lot during the entire game. We're happy that we stood tall to the challenge and earned the win.

- Was this a special game for you? You spent seven years with Neftekhimik.

- Of course. I had a fantastic time in Nizhnekamsk, I am grateful to everything which that club has done for me. It was tough to get ready for this match, but I'm now a SKA player and I always want to help my team win.

- When did you find out that you were going to be the team captain for this match?

- Yesterday during our team meeting. We were told that Jaskin wasn't going to play. Thank you to the coaching staff and the team for putting their faith in me.

- Was it difficult to find motivation for Neftekhimik after such a dramatic game against Lokomotiv on Monday?

- This was a very important game for me personally. The match against Lokomotiv did take a lot of our energy, maybe that's why the first period wasn't great from our point of view. The most important thing is that we subsequently started to play in accordance with our system and achieved a positive result.