SKA – Neftekhimik. Press-conference

HC SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg:

- We had prepared seriously for this match, Neftekhimik are a strong team. We respect all of our opponents. We managed to score a few goals during a positive start. However, our discipline subsequently let us down, and this consequently meant that we lost the rhythm of the game. Nevertheless, I want to thank our players for achieving an important victory in front of our fans who provided us with fantastic support.

- Neftekhimik often embark on dramatic comebacks when losing by large scores. Were you worried when they scored two goals in the second period?

- Individual mistakes and unnecessary penalties provided Nizhnekamsk with a route back into the game. Overall, though, I would say that we calmly saw the match out. We competed in accordance with our plan and kept a strong opposing team at bay.

- Why did SKA take so many penalties when leading 4:0?

- Our discipline disappeared. Yes, we are all full of desire to win, but our emotions need to be controlled. I would like to once again thank our fans for their wonderful support today, we’re banking on them being there when we compete in Kazan, Cherepovets and Yaroslavl next week!

HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk head coach Oleg Leontyev:

- There were enough opportunities to earn points today. Had we scored on the powerplay in the third period, we would have been really close to completing the comeback. Both Dmitry Sokolov and Ilya Khokhlov missed glorious chances. Unfortunately, when you concede goals in quick succession on the road, it’s always difficult to get back into the game. Our guys tried their best, they gave everything and produced a positive overall display.

- Did you consider pulling Filipp Dolganov after going 0:4 down?

- No, he wasn’t to blame for any of SKA’s goals.

- How did Neftekhimik manage to turn the tide in the second stanza?

- Regardless of the situation, you must never give up and lay your weapons down. You always have to fight for a way back into the match.

- Some of your passes weren’t overly accurate. Was there an issue with the quality of the ice?

- No, we don’t have any issues with the ice. The situation was the same for both teams. Our players made rushed decisions when under pressure.

- Former SKA forward Alexander Dergachyov is your captain.

- He was named our captain following a voting process within our team. Alexander won the ballot by a small margin.

- You had managed to beat SKA in Nizhnekamsk. In comparison to last season, has the playing field evened itself out even further?

- There are less foreigners in the KHL. However, we have to be honest here and not ignore the truth: when there are such large budget differences, we cannot speak about the playing field being even. We are trying to be as successful as we can be.

HC SKA forward Mikhail Vorobyov:

- It’s important that we won and earned two points, we now have to prepare for our upcoming road trip. Why did the momentum swing Neftekhimik’s way? Our penalties resulted in the visitors taking the initiative. We understand that we’re going to play against strong teams during our next away series, but we will analyse how opponents play and be fully prepared. It will be nice to have a day off tomorrow and take our minds off ice hockey for a while.