CSKA - SKA. Press-conference of Game Seven

HC CSKA Moscow head coach Dmitry Kvartalnov:

- I congratulate Vyacheslav with the deserved victory. We, probably, didn't deserve it. We will have a think, analyse, and move on.

- What was the series' key moment? The fourth game?

- No, it wasn't the fourth game. Probably it was these two home matches. I wouldn't like to blame anyone, it our, the coaches', fault. We won 12 playoff games in a row, three against SKA, and probably I made a mistake somewhere. This is the first time this season that we have lost four games in a row. We should have gone through such a situation during the regular season, where we would have lost two, three or four games in a row. This situation was tough for us, and we probably were a little bit unprepared for it. I put all the blame on myself.

HC SKA head coach Vyacheslav Bykov:

- I and Dmitry are friends in work and life. I would like to thank him that his team put us in a corner, and we managed to come out of it. I congratulate him with winning the regular season and taking my home club CSKA back to a high level. About the series, then I think all of the games were similar and played without compromises. Everyone tried to play their own style of hockey. Of course I want to thank my guys - they believed in themselves, believed in the team, and wrote new history. Also huge thanks go to our fans. And also to CSKA's fans - it was nice to see a full house here in Moscow. We will continue to work, the final is coming up.

- Can we expect changes to the line-up?

- Everyone is playing for the good of the team, and this decided the series. But of course the players on the sidelines will be ready for the final.

- What does qualifying for the final mean for SKA? And how hard was this series?

- This is sport. We saw two true strong and powerful teams, and we both deserved to qualify for the final. For Saint Petersburg it means that the hockey season will continue for a few more matches. I hope that we will achieve our goal that we have set ourselves - to take the Gagarin Cup to Saint Petersburg. However, we know that it will be a tough final series.

- How did you win this series? Is it down to tactics or your mental preparation and strength?

- You need both aspects to work in order to win. We needed to have the fight to believe. It's true that you win finals by small details.

- What did you tell your players are losing the first three matches in a row?

- I wouldn't like to reveal what goes on behind closed doors. We should however always believe in ourselves, and we kept on believing until the end.

- Is this victory down to you, the coaches, or the team?

- The team. I and my assistants are part of this team.

- SKA were pushed into a corner in this series. Have you had such situations before in your career?

- No - I lived through this moment with my team. This is a huge experience, which is impossible to compare to anything else. Each match has new emotions and new pressure.

- Is this series win down to Vadim Shipachyov's line? And what can you do to make sure that Kazan won't shut them down?

- That's for them to think about. Ak Bars are a very strong team in all aspects, and have one of the best coaching staffs in the league. They are a serious opponent, and we will need to analyse their game well. They're worthy opponents, but that makes the final even more interesting.

- Do you remember losing twice against Kazan during the regular season?

- Yes, Ak Bars played in a powerful manner in both games. Especially in Saint Petersburg. From one side it was nice seeing how they performed, as we could learn something from it. We will have seven games in which to win.

- Have SKA become more of a courageous team this year? Or is it only just now coming out?

- It's hard for me to say, this is my first year with the team. I think that for most of the players this is also a new experience, and from all defeats and victories we gain experience and belief in our own abilities.

- What did CSKA do well in this series?

- They played around the net well. Dmitry Kvartalnov got the team this result, and they played in a very organised manner.

- Did you use Kevin Lalande's social networking message as a way to motivate your players?

- If I'm honest, I, like many, do not pay attention to such comments. We needed to keep our concentration on other things.

- Did you not read the newspapers?

- No.

- You should have done.

- Your job is to make hockey even more popular, and you're doing that. It's your work, and you need to understand that you're writing not only for us.

- A lot of people spoke about the refereeing, and two goals were struck off today.

- I don't know, I wouldn't like to speak about this. The referees are also part of the KHL - we need to respect them.

- What will people remember the season for - winning the championship or the cup?

I- think that three or four teams set themselves the target of winning the Gagarin Cup. We are part of them.