Torpedo - SKA. Press-conference

HC SKA head coach Oleg Znarok:

- It was a good, tough game. We knew just how well Torpedo play in Nizhny Novgorod. It's disappointing that we gave away points when 3:1 up, but these things happen. We will prepare for the next game.

- Rate Andrei Altybarmakyan's KHL debut.

- He did well. Given that it was his first KHL match, I think that he was nervous. Nevertheless, I hope he will improve in future games.

- Why did Igor Shestyorkin play in the penalty shootout?

- Our goalkeeping coach decides who plays. I trust his decisions.

- You took a long time deciding whether to challenge Torpedo's second goal.

- We didn't doubt that it was a goal, but the guys from upstairs told us that it could have been offside. However, after the decision had been made, we were told that it was a clean goal.

- You had five days off before this game. Did this complicate the closing stages of this match?

- It's hard to tell. Against Vityaz Podolsk, the same thing happened - we had lots of shots, but couldn't score on our chances.

HC Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod head coach Peteris Skudra:

- I congratulate SKA with their victory. It's nice to play against such a strong opponent, but it's a shame we lost at home. When we were losing 1:3, we started moving a lot better. SKA forced us to play in defence, but we improved when down 1:3. Our players put in an aggressive effort. We were rewarded with one point. This game gave us a lot of information, we'll prepare for the next game.

- How did you recover from a 1:3 deficit in the third period?

- In the first period, we didn't stick to the game plan. However, a lot depends on how the opponents play too. SKA passed the puck well, not allowing us to have possession. It got worse in the second stanza. Psychology played its part - when you play against a more talented, experience team, you can't peform at your best. At the end of the game, we got better and scored goals.

- Did you think the goaltending change could turn the match?

- It was clear how Stanislav Galimov was feeling. It was a good chance to give Ivan Lisutin some minutes on the ice. Stanislav wasn't feeling great in that third period.