Torpedo - SKA. Press-conference of Game Four

HC SKA head coach Vyacheslav Bykov:

- We tried to play disciplined today again, and it worked out. We knew that Torpedo would press in the final minutes, but our players coped well. The series continues.

- Rate Mikko Koskinen's performance in this series.

- He is stable, however everyone is helping him.

- Was the team instructed to play more in defence after the first period?

- If the opponents keep attacking, then we have no other option. We understood that if we kept powering forward, then we would be caught out on the counterattack. There was no point in doing that. There were chances for us though even when we played defensively.

- Why didn't your team score on the powerplay today?

- Both teams are trying to not let each other score. We had the desire, had opportunities, but it wouldn't go in today.

HC Torpedo head coach Peteris Skudra:

- It's not enough just to keep the puck and shoot, you need to score too. Saint Petersburg have a great team, and they can shoot only seven times in a period and score twice. We had 25 shots on goal, and scored only once. Yes, Mikko Koskinen was solid, but we have to put our chances away. It's tough when you have the initiative, but the goals won't come. Saint Petersburg are a quality team, and they don't need to shoot many times to score. We have to improve on taking advantage of our opportunities. I also have problems with the players' commitment. One player didn't skate back hard enough and we conceded, another made a mistake and another goal went in. These individual mistakes are not allowing us to beat Saint Petersburg. With other teams we could still win, but not with these opponents. If players keep on not giving everything, something will always be missing. We will go to Saint Petersburg to fight, we have nothing else left. It's better to play at this time of year than train, and we will try to extend the series.

- How can you wake up your foreign players?

- I don't need to do that. They are playing great, but the puck either hits the post or won't roll over the line. Saint Petersburg don't make mistakes, while we are. We are constantly giving the opponents chances to score. The guys are trying though, and I haven't got any problems with them.

- Why are you changing your goalkeepers around?

- Both are in identical shape. Sometimes one of them is more fresh, at times another loses their concentration. We stick in net whoever is the best prepared on the day of the game. We don't have a particular number one.

- Can you tell us why Artyom Blazhievsky didn't play after the opening frame?

- He has a temperature, and if yesterday he played, today he couldn't finish the match. We just don't have any more defencemen. He tried today, but couldn't continue. Mikhail Grigoryev also has a fever, and he is recovering after an illness. I don't think that we will see him in the next match.