Valeri Bragin: "We knew that Salavat would start with aggression"

HC SKA head coach Valeri Bragin:

- The first period didn't end in our favour, but we did play well while having chances of our own. Nevertheless, we competed with more aggression in the second and scored a goal, before moving to three lines in the third frame and equalising on the powerplay. We managed to win on penalty shots.

- Why did SKA have so much trouble moving into the attacking zone in the first period?

- We were prepared for the fact that Salavat Yulaev were going to start with aggression. We played well, but we didn't score and they did.

- Please explain why SKA took two penalties in overtime.

- It turned out that way.

- Mikhail Berdin was born in Ufa. Taking that into account, why did you give Alexander Samonov the start between the pipes?

- Our goalkeeping coach made that decision.

- The matches against these opponents in Saint Petersburg and Ufa were similar.

- Yes, that's true if we talk about the score, we won in overtime at home and in a penalty shootout here. The matches were very similar, it's true.

- Are you not afraid that SKA will have trouble making comebacks in the future if the team continues going 0:2 down in games?

- We're working on how to not concede in the first period.

- Why didn't Yaroslav Askarov and Vasily Podkolzin play?

- They are a bit ill.