Viktor Tikhonov: "Matches against Canada are always special"

- We were in a good mindset, the fans helped us with their emotional support.

- It didn't feel like a pre-season game at all.

- Yes, I think that the fans felt that too. Everyone wants to win when it's a Russia against Canada match-up, and I am happy that we managed to do just that.

- Is it interesting playing against a national team?

- Of course. They have good, fast and aggressive players. You always want to prove yourself at this level. It really raises your confidence when you win.

- Fans with Canadian flags said that SKA couldn't score without Canadian penalties.

- I'm sure that all of the fans here were cheering for SKA.

- Did it become easier after Nikita Gusev's goal?

- Yes, at that time we were relying on counterattacks. They were putting the pressure on us, firing the shots in on our goal. However, we improved after the second goal.

- There were a lot of goalscoring chances on show.

- In any game, there are always opportunities to score. However, sometimes you just can't hit the net. In the first period, we did let a couple of chances go by. If we would have scored earlier, the match could have turned out differently.

- Did you know that SKA-Neva and Jokerit tossed a coin to see who would play in the final tomorrow?

- SKA-Neva have been great, I saw one of their matches. They play in a fast manner with a good system. I think that they would have deserved to qualify for the final. It's a shame that they won't play in that match, it would have been interesting. We played against each other twice this pre-season, with us sharing wins.

- Is the team in shape before the start of the KHL season?

- We can all improve, it's clear that things aren't perfect yet. Nevertheless, we are getting better every match. We're looking forward to the start of the season.

- How good have Canada been at this tournament?

- They were great today, their players play at a high tempo. They created a lot of chances, it wasn't easy for us. We have to give them credit, they travelled here and despite the time difference and their new roster, they did a good job.

- Would they compete in the KHL?

- I don't know what I can say.

- Why don't SKA sign Canadians?

- That isn't a question for me either.