SKA - Traktor. Press-conference

HC Traktor Chelyabinsk head coach Anvar Gatiyatulin:

- It was a difficult match, we're happy to win. I thanked the team for showing commitment. The first two periods were tough for us, but we were better in the third. One shot decided the outcome. Thank you to the fans who supported us.

- You knew that SKA always like to compete in an aggressive manner at home.

- Yes, we understood that there would be constant pressure. We paid attention to the small details and the guys coped with their task. There were some mistakes, but the goalkeeper saved us. We tried to keep our errors to a minimum.

- Finally your Czech players were productive on the ice.

- They always play well during every match, but sometimes their final shot is lacking. They undertake a lot of work. Nevertheless, it doesn't matter who scores, the main thing is that the team wins.

- You are changing your goalkeepers every two games.

- That is the plan. A product of the Saint Petersburg ice hockey system was in goal today? Today was simply his turn to play. Ivan Fedotov was great for us.

- This was your first visit to Saint Petersburg after leaving SKA.

- It's great to be here again, it is a wonderful city and the atmosphere inside the stadium is excellent. Every match is important for us.

HC SKA head coach Valeri Bragin:

- We couldn't score today, but we did have opportunities, if not a lot of them. The opponents were very solid in defence. There's a bitter feeling after this game, with such a group of forwards we should be scoring goals.

- You know Anvar Gatiyatulin well. Why is it so difficult to beat Traktor?

- We lost because we didn't score. It was clear that Traktor were going to focus on defence and wait for our mistakes. However, in terms of tactics, we didn't make any errors. They simply scored after a faceoff draw.

- SKA had more energy against Salavat Yulaev.

- Salavat compete in a more open manner. Traktor closed up and waiting for their opportunity.

- Why Yaroslav Askarov receive a maximum amount of ice time ahead of the World Junior Championship?

- This was his second consecutive match. We have good goalkeepers in our squad.